Punctuation Questions Medium
The difference between a hyphen and a dash lies in their length and usage.
A hyphen (-) is the shortest punctuation mark and is used to join words or parts of words together. It is commonly used in compound words, such as "self-esteem" or "mother-in-law," to connect prefixes or suffixes to words, like "re-examine" or "child-friendly," and to separate numbers in phone numbers or dates, like "555-1234" or "01-01-2022."
On the other hand, a dash can refer to two different types: the en dash (–) and the em dash (—). The en dash is slightly longer than a hyphen and is primarily used to indicate a range or connection between two things, such as "pages 10–15" or "New York–London flight." It can also be used to show a connection between two words, like "pre–World War II" or "post–Cold War."
The em dash is the longest of the three and is used to indicate a break or interruption in a sentence. It can be used to set off a parenthetical phrase or additional information, to emphasize a point, or to show a sudden change in thought. For example, "I have three favorite colors—blue, green, and purple" or "The weather was perfect—sunny, warm, and clear."
In summary, a hyphen is used to join words or parts of words, while dashes (en dash and em dash) are used to indicate a range, connection, or interruption in a sentence.