Which Dash Is About Half The Length Of An Em Dash?

en dash.
Despite its name, the en dash has more in common with the hyphen than with the em dash. In fact, it helps to think of the en dash, which is half the length of the em, as a variant of the hyphen.

Which is longer em dash or en dash?

Em dashes and en dashes (— vs.The shorter en dash (–) is used to mark ranges and with the meaning “to” in phrases like “Dover–Calais crossing.” The longer em dash (—) is used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence.

What is the length of a dash?

First of all, there are three lengths of what are all more or less dashes: hyphen (-), en dash (–), and em dash (—).

How many dashes is an em dash?

two hyphens
On both PCs and Macs, two hyphens (typed with no space before or after either of them) will convert to an em dash—the full-length one that most of us think of when we hear the word “dash.”

What is the longer dash called?

em dash
The dash (—), also called the em dash, is the long horizontal bar, much longer than a hyphen. Few keyboards have a dash, but a word processor can usually produce one in one way or another.

Are em dashes informal?

In informal writing, em dashes may replace commas, semicolons, colons, and parentheses to indicate added emphasis, an interruption, or an abrupt change of thought. Examples: You are the friend—the only friend—who offered to help me.

What does an em dash look like?

It can add a spice—or a dash, if you will—to a sentence by adding emphasis to certain words and phrases. I am talking about the em-dash, which looks like two hyphens connected into one long line. Depending on the sentence, the em-dash can have a similar function to parentheses, colons, commas, and even semicolons.

How long is an em?

An em is a unit in the field of typography, equal to the currently specified point size. For example, one em in a 16-point typeface is 16 points. Therefore, this unit is the same for all typefaces at a given point size. The em dash — and em space are each one em wide.

What is the em dash symbol?

The em dash (—) sets off a word or clause and adds emphasis. Or, it can signal an interruption (see our article on interrupting sentences for more on that!) or amplification (“expanding”) of an idea. It’s also the longest of the dashes (e.g., hyphen, en dash).

Where is em dash keyboard?

For an em-dash, hold down the Alt key and type 0151, then release the Alt key. That’s it! For an en-dash, hold down the Alt key and type 0150, then release the Alt key.

How do I make an em dash?

How to type an em dash on Windows

1. Hold the Alt key.
2. Now type “0151” on the num pad.
3. A clunkier method, but one that works with any keyboard, is to use the Windows 10 emoji keyboard.
4. Click the right-most tab with the omega (?) symbol on it.
5. Scroll down until you find the em dash symbol (—).

How do you use an em dash example?

1. Use em dashes in place of commas or parentheses to create a break in a sentence. Examples: Please call my lawyer—Richard Smith—on Tuesday.
2. Use an em dash like a colon or semicolon to create emphasis. A) In place of a colon:
3. Use an em dash to show a sudden change of thought. Examples:

How do you make an em dash in Windows?

On Windows it’s… less simple: you need to use an alt code to get an em dash. If you have a numeric keyboard, hold down the Alt key and type 0151 for an em dash or 0150 for an en dash.

Do em dashes have to be in pairs?

We use the em dash to create a strong break in the structure of a sentence. We can use these dashes in pairs, as we would use parentheses—that is, to enclose a word, or a phrase, or a clause (as we’ve done here)—or they can be used alone to detach one end of a sentence from its main body.

What is a double em dash?

Two em dashes can be used to indicate missing portions of a word, whether unknown or intentionally omitted.

Do you capitalize after an em dash?

Don’t capitalize after a dash unless it’s a proper noun that follows. Second—and I’m going to be pedantic here—those examples don’t use proper dashes for what they’re trying to convey. There are two kinds of dashes: en and em. Em dashes are longer and have no spaces before or after—like this.

Is em dash formal or informal?

Yes, the em dash is used in formal writing. This is more of a life lesson rather than a question of if an em dash is formal or informal.

Can you use em dashes in MLA?

In student writing, there is no need to use em and en dashes in the works-cited list. But MLA publications use dashes to enhance readability. Our publications require em dashes in the works-cited list when there are two or more works by a single author.

What kind of dash goes between dates?

en dash
An en dash is a mid-sized dash (longer than a hyphen but shorter than an em dash) that is mostly used to show ranges in numbers and dates. It can also be used for clarity in forming complex compound adjectives. The en dash derives its name from the fact that it is meant to be the same width as the letter N.

Why is it called an em dash?

The character is called an em dash because it is one em wide, a length that varies depending on the font size. One em is the same length as the font’s height (which is typically measured in points). So in 9-point type, an em dash is nine points wide, while in 24-point type the em dash is 24 points wide.

How do you type an em dash on a Chromebook?

In the menu at the top, click Insert then Special Characters. In the next window, set options on left to Punctuation and on right to Dash/Connector. Select em dash and close the window. The em dash is inserted.