Dashes
Last updated
Last updated
Em dashes (—) can, when appropriate, be used in place of commas to enhance readability. Note, however, that dashes are always more emphatic than commas. Don’t use em dashes where no punctuation, commas, or (occasionally) a semi-colon would do.
An en dash (–) is used to indicate continuing numbers, such as 1968–72, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., pp. 38–45, John 4:3–6:2.
En dash is also used in place of a hyphen in a compound adjective if one element consists of two or more words or of a hyphenated word: post–Cold War
On the web/in Google Docs, no spaces should be placed around dashes. In print layout, there is a hairline space around both em and en dashes.
Most prefixes (co, re, pre, multi, anti, etc.) do not require hyphens (-). Check our glossary in this guide or the Merriam Webster dictionary for exceptions (notably, “anti-capitalism” and “anti-colonial”) or if you aren’t certain.
Compounds: see Chicago Manual tables for guidance or check M-W. If the word is not listed in either place, follow construction of a similar word (ex.: chairperson follows the example of layperson).