This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD. Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.
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When you know how to use a dash correctly, it can be a handy piece of punctuation. The problem is that sometimes it is difficult to know exactly when to use an em dash (—) or an en dash (–). Generally speaking, an em dash is used to create emphasis or to establish an informal tone. An en dash is common when indicating a range of numbers or creating compound adjectives. Once you know that, mastering the dash isn’t hard. Just remember a few basic rules and your writing will be dashing along in no time.