01/29/2016

  • We use two kinds of dashes in Lewis & Clark communications. They are the en dash, which is only slightly longer than the hyphen, and the em dash.

hyphen -
en dash –
em dash —

  • Use the en dash to punctuate inclusive ranges of numbers, times, and dates:

pages 9–22
1:30–5:30 p.m.
December 1897–March 1902

  • The em dash (often called simply the dash) is the most common dash. We sometimes use em dashes in place of parentheses, commas, or colons. 

His friends—if you could really call them that—were quick to vanish whenever he asked for help.

  • See also em dash and en dash.