To all members of the public concerned with recent developments in grammar:
The following CSA (Concordia Service Announcement) concerns the punctuation mark known as the em dash (—) and the various other punctuation look-alikes that are often confused for the mark in question.
The following is a hyphen: -
Note that the hyphen is the shortest of the three marks to be discussed in this announcement. This mark lies between the “0” and the “=” on most keyboards. It’s used only in hyphenated words—words like “check-in” an “self-assured.”
For more information on proper hyphen use, please click here.
The following is an en dash: –
At first glance, the en dash seems pretty much indiscernible from the hyphen—yet unlike the hyphen, the en dash is rarely used. Typically, the only time one uses an en dash is in ranges, such as 7–9 or Monday–Thursday. (Please note the clear difference between this and 7-9 or Monday-Thursday). There is no key on the keyboard for the en dash. Instead, one must go into the “symbols” menu of one’s word processor to insert this mark.
Note the danger in confusing the hyphen and the en dash. Imagine this scene: you’re at a party and a fellow grammar-lover shows you a piece of their writing. However, they’ve used an en dash in a hyphenated word and you’ve failed to notice—what a fool they have taken you for! For this reason, it is imperative that every conscientious member of the public memorize the approximate lengths of both the hyphen and the en dash so as to avoid any confusion (and embarrassment).
The following is an em dash: —
The em dash is much longer than any of the other marks we’ve discussed thus far. The em dash is used to connect different clauses and phrases—like this. It can substitute for the semicolon; however, it feels more sudden than a semicolon, as though the second item is an interruption of the first. (Note: in some publication formats the em dash is not available as a mark of punctuation; in those cases, it is permissible to use two hyphens together (–). However, this is only acceptable as a last resort, and it should only be used in cases of emergency.) Use them too much, of course, and you’ll come off as an impersonator of Herman Melville or Emily Dickinson (depending on your genre).
This concludes the Concordia Service Announcement. Thank you all for your cooperation.