I love dashes. They’re fun to use and help create a friendly tone when you’re writing. (But if you’re writing a formal business report or academic paper, you might want to use fewer dashes.)

Dashes – which interrupt sentences, like this – are different from hyphens. Hyphens are used to combine word pairs that are followed by a noun: a dark-green dress. 

The best way to learn how to use dashes is by reading. Once you get a feeling for the rhythms of various kinds of sentences, you’ll start to be comfortable using dashes. (If you need a series of rules for using dashes, you’re probably not ready for them yet.)

Formatting dashes is another matter. There are strict rules, and you need some computer skills. Here are the basics: “n” and “m” dashes look different but work the same way. You should know that “n” dashes are shorter than “m” dashes. “N” dashes are preferred for ranges of dates, numbers, and time: “Labs are usually scheduled from 9:00 – 11:00 AM.”

You can set up the preferences feature in Microsoft Word to make “m” dashes for you. They are longer than “n” dashes and used for breaks in sentences. One technique is to type space hyphen space. Then type the next word and hit the space bar. Presto! The hyphens magically change into an “m” dash.

The other way is to type two hyphens with no spaces. Repeat: no spaces. Type the next word, hit the space bar, and the two hyphens automatically melt into one beautiful dash.

The ability to format dashes is one of the marks of a professional! If you need more help, do a Google search – or ask a knowledgeable friend to help you.

Don’t make up your own system for spaces and dashes. I’ve known writers who randomly hit the hyphen key and space bar when they use dashes. Nope!