{"id":1153,"date":"2026-07-10T16:25:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T16:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/?p=1153"},"modified":"2026-07-04T16:30:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T16:30:54","slug":"hyphen-en-dash-em-dash-rules-examples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/hyphen-en-dash-em-dash-rules-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"Hyphens, En Dashes, and Em Dashes in Academic Writing: Rules and Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>A hyphen joins words and word parts; an en dash shows a range or connects equal terms; an em dash sets off or interrupts a thought.<\/li><li>Number ranges, dates, and page spans should use an en dash, not a hyphen \u2014 a frequent error across all three disciplines.<\/li><li>Always confirm the target journal&#8217;s specific style requirements before finalizing punctuation, since house style can override general guidance.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"#_Toc234094701\">Introduction: Why Punctuation Marks Matter in Academic Writing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#_Toc234094702\">What Is the Difference Between Hyphens, En Dashes, and Em Dashes?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#_Toc234094703\">The Hyphen (-): Definition and Core Uses<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#_Toc234094704\">The En Dash (\u2013): Definition and Core Uses<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#_Toc234094705\">The Em Dash (\u2014): Definition and Core Uses<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#_Toc234094706\">How Do You Type En Dashes and Em Dashes on a Keyboard?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#_Toc234094707\">Hyphen vs En Dash vs Em Dash: Quick Comparison Table<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#_Toc234094708\">What Are the Most Common Dash and Hyphen Mistakes in Research Papers?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#_Toc234094709\">Should You Use Em Dashes in Formal Academic Writing?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#_Toc234094710\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><a id=\"_Toc234094701\">Introduction: Why Punctuation Marks Matter in Academic Writing<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes look similar but perform very different grammatical jobs. Using the wrong one signals carelessness in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-write-a-good-research-paper\/\">research paper<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/what-is-a-dissertation-best-practices\/\">dissertation<\/a>. Carelessness in punctuation can prompt examiners or peer reviewers to question carelessness elsewhere in the methodology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This guide explains each mark, shows how the rules apply across social science, biomedical, and physical science writing, and summarizes what the major style guides (APA, MLA, Chicago, and AMA) require.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><a id=\"_Toc234094702\">What Is the Difference Between Hyphens, En Dashes, and Em Dashes?<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A hyphen (-) joins words or word parts, an en dash (\u2013) shows a range or a connection between two equal terms, and an em dash (\u2014) sets off or interrupts a thought. The three marks increase in length and in the size of the grammatical unit they connect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Hyphen (-): the shortest mark; joins compound words, prefixes, and numbers.<\/li><li>En dash (\u2013): roughly the width of the letter &#8220;N&#8221;; links ranges, scores, and paired terms.<\/li><li>Em dash (\u2014): roughly the width of the letter &#8220;M&#8221;; marks a break, aside, or emphatic pause.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><a id=\"_Toc234094703\">The Hyphen (-): Definition and Core Uses<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A hyphen joins two or more words so they function as a single unit, or attaches a prefix or suffix to a root word. It is the shortest of the three marks and the one used most often in everyday academic prose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Compound Adjectives Before Nouns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When two or more words work together to modify a noun that follows them, they are usually hyphenated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>a well-documented bias, a cross-cultural study, a middle-income household<\/li><li>a double-blind trial, a high-risk patient, a well-tolerated dose<\/li><li>a low-frequency signal, a two-dimensional lattice, a steady-state reaction<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3>Prefixes, Suffixes, and Compound Nouns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Most prefixes attach without a hyphen (nonlinear, reevaluate), but a hyphen is kept when omitting it would create confusion, a double vowel clash, or an awkward reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>co-author, self-report, post-intervention (avoids &#8220;postintervention&#8221;)<\/li><li>pre-existing condition, re-infection<\/li><li>re-orient, sub-atomic (style-dependent), anti-aliasing<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3>Hyphens in Numbers, Fractions, and Ratios<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>twenty-five participants, a two-thirds majority<\/li><li>a 3-year follow-up, a one-third reduction in relapse rate<\/li><li>a 95-percent confidence bound, a first-order approximation<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4>Quick reference<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><td><strong>Example Phrase<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Why a Hyphen Is Used<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>a hard-to-reach population<\/td><td>Compound adjective before the noun &#8220;population&#8221;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>a 12-week treatment period<\/td><td>Number-plus-noun compound modifier<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>a wave-particle duality<\/td><td>Two nouns joined to form one concept<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2><a id=\"_Toc234094704\">The En Dash (\u2013): Definition and Core Uses<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An en dash is longer than a hyphen and shorter than an em dash. It typically shows a range of values or links two terms that remain grammatically independent, such as two cities or two researchers&#8217; names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Showing Ranges in Numbers, Dates, and Pages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>the 1990\u20132020 period, respondents aged 18\u201365<\/li><li>a follow-up of 6\u201312 months, see pp. 112\u2013118<\/li><li>a wavelength of 400\u2013700 nanometers, Figures 3\u20135<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3>Connecting Related but Independent Terms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>the Mumbai\u2013Delhi migration corridor, the teacher\u2013student relationship<\/li><li>a dose\u2013response relationship, the gene\u2013environment interaction<\/li><li>the Bose\u2013Einstein condensate, the stress\u2013strain curve<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Quick reference: en dash examples<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><td><strong>Example Phrase<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Context<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>the 2015\u20132019 survey wave<\/td><td>Range of years in a longitudinal study<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>a 5\u201310 mg dosage range<\/td><td>Range of drug dosages in a protocol<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>the Michelson\u2013Morley experiment<\/td><td>Two independent researchers named jointly<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2><a id=\"_Toc234094705\">The Em Dash (\u2014): Definition and Core Uses<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An em dash is the longest of the three marks. It sets off a parenthetical remark, marks a sudden break in a sentence, or adds emphasis in a way that is more forceful than a comma or parentheses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Setting Off Parenthetical Information<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The sample\u2014drawn from three urban districts\u2014was not nationally representative.<\/li><li>Adverse events\u2014 most of them mild\u2014were reported in 1.2% of patients.<\/li><li>The detector\u2014calibrated the day before the run\u2014showed no baseline drift.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3>Indicating a Break, Pause, or Emphasis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The policy achieved its stated goal\u2014but at a considerable social cost.<\/li><li>The trial was halted early\u2014the safety signal was too strong to ignore.<\/li><li>The model fit the data well\u2014until temperatures exceeded 400 K.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Quick reference: em dash examples by discipline<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><td><strong>Example Sentence Fragment<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Function of the Em Dash<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>the finding\u2014though preliminary\u2014is consistent<\/td><td>Sets off a qualifying aside<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>the biomarker\u2014elevated in 80% of cases\u2014predicted relapse<\/td><td>Inserts supporting data mid-sentence<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>the anomaly\u2014undetected until 2021\u2014reshaped the model<\/td><td>Marks a dramatic interruption<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2><a id=\"_Toc234094706\">How Do You Type En Dashes and Em Dashes on a Keyboard?<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On Windows, hold Alt and type 0150 on the numeric keypad for an en dash or 0151 for an em dash. Both the en and em dashes are available in the Symbol list under the Insert menu. On Mac, press Option+Hyphen for an en dash and Shift+Option+Hyphen for an em dash. Word also auto-converts typed hyphens in many cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If autocorrect produces the wrong mark, use Insert &gt; Symbol, or the keyboard shortcuts above, and disable autoformatting under File &gt; Options &gt; Proofing if it keeps guessing wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><a id=\"_Toc234094707\">Hyphen vs En Dash vs Em Dash: Quick Comparison Table<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><td><strong>Mark<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Symbol<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Relative Length<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Typical Use<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Hyphen<\/td><td>&#8211;<\/td><td>Shortest<\/td><td>Joins compound words, prefixes, numbers<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>En dash<\/td><td>\u2013<\/td><td>Medium<\/td><td>Ranges, scores, paired independent terms<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Em dash<\/td><td>\u2014<\/td><td>Longest<\/td><td>Parenthetical asides, breaks, emphasis<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2><a id=\"_Toc234094708\">What Are the Most Common Dash and Hyphen Mistakes in Research Papers?<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The most common mistakes are using a hyphen instead of an en dash in number ranges, overusing em dashes where commas would read more formally, and inconsistent spacing around dashes within the same manuscript.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Writing &#8220;aged 45-67&#8221; with a hyphen instead of &#8220;aged 45\u201367&#8221; with an en dash<\/li><li>Using a hyphen for a score or vote count, such as &#8220;the committee voted 7-2&#8221; instead of &#8220;7\u20132&#8221;<\/li><li>Mixing spaced and unspaced em dashes within the same document<\/li><li>Hyphenating a compound adjective that comes after the noun it modifies, such as &#8220;the patient was 45-years-old&#8221; (no hyphen needed there) versus &#8220;a 45-year-old patient&#8221; (hyphen needed)<\/li><li>Using an em dash where a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/colon-vs-semicolon-rules-examples\/\">colon or semicolon<\/a> would better suit a formal journal&#8217;s house style<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><a id=\"_Toc234094709\">Should You Use Em Dashes in Formal Academic Writing?<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, in moderation. Most style guides permit em dashes for asides or emphasis, but many journals in the biomedical and physical sciences prefer commas, parentheses, or semicolons for a more formal, data-focused tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Use an em dash sparingly, generally no more than once or twice<\/li><li>Check the target journal&#8217;s author guidelines before submission, since some prohibit em dashes entirely<\/li><li>Use a comma or parentheses ( ) when the aside is short and does not need strong emphasis<\/li><li>Currently, overuse of em dashes is widely perceived as a sign of AI-generated text. I would advise limiting them to 1-2 in an entire paper.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><a id=\"_Toc234094710\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3>What is the difference between a hyphen and a dash?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A hyphen joins words or word parts into a single unit, while a dash (either an en dash or an em dash) connects or separates larger grammatical elements such as ranges, clauses, or asides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>When should I use an en dash instead of a hyphen?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Use an en dash for number ranges, date spans, page ranges, and terms that combine two independent, equal elements, such as a dose\u2013response relationship or a New York\u2013Dallas route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Is it correct to use three hyphens instead of an em dash?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No; three hyphens (&#8212;) are a typewriter-era substitute. Most word processors convert them automatically, but the final manuscript should show a true em dash (\u2014), not triple hyphens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Can I use an em dash in a scientific research paper?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, sparingly, to flag an unexpected result or add a brief aside, but many biomedical and physical science journals prefer commas, parentheses, or semicolons for a more formal tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>How do I insert an en dash automatically in Microsoft Word?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Type a number, a space, a hyphen, a space, and another number (such as &#8220;1990 &#8211; 2020&#8221;); Word&#8217;s AutoCorrect usually converts the hyphen to an en dash once you continue typing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Why do compound adjectives need a hyphen before a noun?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A hyphen prevents misreading by showing that two or more words act as a single descriptive unit before the noun, such as a \u201csmall-animal hospital\u201d (a hospital for small animals) instead of \u201csmall animal hospital\u201d (an animal hospital that is small in size).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Key Takeaways A hyphen joins words and word parts; an en dash shows a range or connects equal terms; an em dash sets off or interrupts a thought. Number ranges, dates, and page spans should use an en dash, not a hyphen \u2014 a frequent error across all three disciplines. Always confirm the target journal&#8217;s [&hellip;]","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_ayudawp_aiss_exclude":false,"_ayudawp_aiss_summary":"What Is the Difference Between Hyphens, En Dashes, and Em Dashes?. Hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes look similar but perform very different grammatical jobs. The most common mistakes are using a hyphen instead of an en dash in number ranges, overusing em dashes where commas would read more formally, and inconsistent spacing around dashes within the same manuscript.","_ayudawp_aiss_summary_provider":"extractive","_ayudawp_aiss_summary_hash":"38ba038038a7f71a788f3eb87edcf22837ef6c1e"},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Hyphens vs en dash vs em dash: Rules, tips, examples from academic writing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Understand how to format and when to use a hyphen, en dash, and em dash in a research paper, thesis, essay, etc., with examples from different disciplines.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/hyphen-en-dash-em-dash-rules-examples\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hyphens vs en dash vs em dash: Rules, tips, examples from academic writing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Understand how to format and when to use a hyphen, en dash, and em dash in a research paper, thesis, essay, etc., with examples from different disciplines.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/hyphen-en-dash-em-dash-rules-examples\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Educational Articles For Researchers, Students And Authors - Editage Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-10T16:25:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-04T16:30:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Marisha Rodrigues\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Marisha Rodrigues\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/hyphen-en-dash-em-dash-rules-examples\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/hyphen-en-dash-em-dash-rules-examples\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Marisha Rodrigues\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/60d7626072744221b2260692486b6ff1\"},\"headline\":\"Hyphens, En Dashes, and Em Dashes in Academic Writing: Rules and Examples\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-10T16:25:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-04T16:30:54+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/hyphen-en-dash-em-dash-rules-examples\/\"},\"wordCount\":1498,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Get Published\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/hyphen-en-dash-em-dash-rules-examples\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/hyphen-en-dash-em-dash-rules-examples\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/hyphen-en-dash-em-dash-rules-examples\/\",\"name\":\"Hyphens vs en dash vs em dash: Rules, tips, examples from academic writing\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-10T16:25:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-04T16:30:54+00:00\",\"description\":\"Understand how to format and when to use a hyphen, en dash, and em dash in a research paper, thesis, essay, etc., with examples from different disciplines.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/hyphen-en-dash-em-dash-rules-examples\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/hyphen-en-dash-em-dash-rules-examples\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/hyphen-en-dash-em-dash-rules-examples\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Hyphens, En Dashes, and Em Dashes in Academic Writing: Rules and Examples\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Educational Articles For Researchers, Students And Authors - Editage Blog\",\"description\":\"Get insightful educational articles from the world of academia for researchers, students and authors. 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