When do i use em dash

This graph by Google might provide the answer, but I'm not sure. WalterTross, Is there even an official spelling for that? I'd thought it's a matter of opinion and writing style. Show 2 more comments. Active Oldest Votes. Against all odds, Pete—the unluckiest man alive—won the lottery. I sense something; a presence I've not felt since— An en-dash is used to connect values in a range or that are related.

Examples where an en-dash should be used: in years — pages 31—32 may be relevant New York beat Los Angeles 98—95 When American English would use an em-dash — following British and Canadian conventions. Improve this answer. One question though: I thought it was customary to use em-dash without spaces—like this—on either side. But you did separate it with spaces in your first sentence. Do you know more about this?

You're absolutely right. I added spaces around the em dashes out of habit of putting spaces around HTML entities. You want to be sparing in your use of an em-dash in place of a colon , and remember that by using an em-dash instead of a colon, your style becomes less formal. Take the following sentence as an example.

After 1, miles of sputtering along in his tiny Honda, Dennis could think only one thing as he approached his driveway —home. Of course, you could use a colon in this sentence, but the em-dash gives it an extra dramatic flair.

Once again, the em-dash adds more emphasis than the traditional punctuation mark. Misusing the Em-dash At the same time, if you start using em-dashes throughout a text to emphasize all your thoughts, the dashes start to lose their power. And your writing will come across like one of those amateur actors who dramatizes every single line he delivers—heavy-handed. Another way to overuse em-dashes is by using them whenever a semicolon, colon, or parentheses show up.

One mark of good writing is the discerning choices the author makes in punctuation. It also makes your writing look full of dashes, which can confuse the reader. That professional writers—mostly—know how not to overuse em-dashes might account for why we tend to overlook them. A good rule of thumb: try not to use them more than twice per paragraph.

Finally, level of formality is huge. If you are writing fiction or using casual language like an email to a close colleague , em-dashes work well. More Words At Play. Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week - Oct. Homophones, Homographs, and Homonyms.

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The em dash is typically used without spaces on either side, and that is the style used in this guide. Most newspapers, however, set the em dash off with a single space on each side. Most newspapers — and all that follow AP style — insert a space before and after the em dash. Many word processors will automatically insert an em dash when you type a pair of hyphens. If you are using a typewriter, a pair of hyphens is the closest you can get to an em dash.

In place of commas In place of parentheses In place of a colon Multiple em dashes Spaces with the em dash Producing the em dash.