Punctuation Questions Medium
A dash and a hyphen are both punctuation marks used in writing, but they serve different purposes in relation to compound words.
A hyphen (-) is a shorter punctuation mark that is used to join words together to form a compound word. It is commonly used to connect two or more words that work together as a single concept or to create adjectives. For example, "well-known," "high-quality," or "self-confidence" are compound words formed by using hyphens.
On the other hand, a dash (—) is a longer punctuation mark that is used to indicate a pause or break in a sentence. It is often used to set off additional information or to emphasize a point. There are two types of dashes: the en dash (–) and the em dash (—). The en dash is slightly longer than a hyphen and is used to show a range or connection between two things, such as "pages 10–15" or "the New York–London flight." The em dash is the longest and is used to indicate a sudden change in thought or to add emphasis to a phrase. For example, "She finally realized what she had to do—leave everything behind" or "I have three favorite colors—blue, green, and purple."
In summary, a hyphen is used to join words together to form a compound word, while a dash is used to indicate a pause, break, or additional information in a sentence.