The first is in pairs—doing this right here can help you to segment a side piece of information—or they can be used to break a sentence into a separate section nearer the end. I know I could—and probably should—just remove the question mark, having only the em dash for separation, but then that gets rid of that question-like tone I want the reader to have. quotation mark. Question mark! Exclamation point. parentheses. That should explain it. 2. )6. -Em dashes mark an interruption or break in thought. To illustrate, I’m going to reproduce the first sentence of this paragraph, but with a semicolon:Question Marks, Exclamation Points, and Em Dashes. The most common types of dashes are the en dash (–) and the em dash (—). ” But the width of the two dashes isn’t the only thing that separates the two. There is a space before the first period and after the last period. Proofreading marks and symbols Although a significant amount of editing and proofreading is now done using tools such as Microsoft’s track changes feature and Adobe’s commenting tool, you may find yourself faced with traditional proofreading marks and symbols on a printed document someday. Em dash: 2015 ― Horizontal bar: 2017 ‗ Double low line: 2018 ‘ Left single quotation mark: 2019 ’ Right single quotation mark: 201A ‚ Single low-9 quotation mark: 201B ‘ Single high. The raya (em-dash) usually indicates separation; for example, it signals interventions of. So I wouldn't say that the dash as an actor can perform the same roles as terminal punctuation, as periods or question marks or exclamation points, but. It should be noted that dashes are almost never required by the rules of grammar and punctuation. En dashes can be used to separate a date range or span of time. If a comma is a quarter note rest, then an em dash is a half-note rest. Between independent clauses linked by a transitional expression. (We won’t get into the serial comma issue here. Simply type a word, then space, then the. Depending on the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons—in each case to slightly different effect. Write an em dash. For example: The company’s profits have been steadily declining over the past year — a trend that is cause for concern. This usage explains the dialog part of your question. Dashes are used to separate groups of words, not to separate parts of words like a hyphen does. Other times, the comma separates grammatical components of the sentence. En dash ( –) When connecting two words to signify a range, Chinese generally uses an en dash occupying the space of one character (e. It thus performs many of the same functions as commas, parentheses, and colons, but with a bit more drama—a “wait for it” tension that tends to lend emphasis to whatever it introduces. The en dash is less well known than. 87 Em dashes for sudden breaks or interruptions; 6. (The exclamation point, like the question mark [see 8. The em dashes are used here to indicate that the information within them is rather shocking. When injecting a descriptive clause into a sentence, you are free to use em dashes, commas, or parentheses. You may see an EN dash used in the same way as the EM dash. a. How might I swap the dash -and underscore _ keys so that underscore is shift-less?. This appears when you move the pointer over the corrected hyphen. One to look out for: the colon. 7. They are named en dashes but they are as wide as the letter N. Your specific issue regards "smart quotes," "em dashes" and "en dashes. 86 Em dash between noun and pronoun; 6. 1. Parentheses diminish the importance of a phrase, while dashes enhance it. &bull First item in the list. Informally, they separate comments that stray from the central idea of the sentence. , the India–Pakistan issue) To extend sentences just like colons, semicolons, and three dots (e. Clark went to the Miami Heat – Boston Celtics game. g. Example em dashes: Upon discovering the errors—all 124 of them—the publisher. The em dash symbol is a single, longer horizontal line — that should not be confused for an en dash - or a hyphen. Signo de interrogación (Question Mark) 7. The em is the longest in the dash suite. If you use it in academic writing, you might look unsure of yourself. The en dash is less well known than. It shows continuity between numbers and indicates that a multiword term is part of a compound adjective: “The conference runs January 2–3”; “The Pulitzer Prize–winning journalists were applauded. If your teacher says not to use it then do not use it for work that is submitted to your teacher. In formal writing, an em dash is the width of an m and longer than both a hyphen and an en dash. The above shortcuts are all valid ways you can use to type the em. “Yes, you did!”. Enter the replacement character in the Replace with text box (see figure 5). 'Break/Fold Mark'. A dash can usually be distinguished from a hyphen in print by its greater length. This. Follow the end quotation mark with an em dash and the action or thought and then another em dash. Do not combine the dash with any mark of punctuation other than quotation marks, the question mark, the exclamation mark and occasionally the period. The stores were filled with holiday shoppers—even more so than last year. It is a versatile punctuation mark that can take the place of commas, parentheses, colons, and semicolons in sentences. The word is usually spelled ether in all main varieties of modern English. An em dash is the width of the letter "m" in the font and type size being used, and should never be used in place of an en dash or hyphen. The translation being made in our system is from a small subset of characaters to an upside-down question mark. Note that although this answer cites only CMOS, I'm fairly confident (based on experience) that most major style. En dashes have a space on either side of the dash – like this. If you want more design. Very heavy reverse solidus. Don’t overthink it—let intuition guide you. ”. To properly use the em dash, spaces should not be placed around it unless the text is being italicized. eg What would be more gratifying than being able to help a child in the use of what Vygotsky considered one of man’s greatest tools? Language! I'm sure others will come to offer advice about the em-dash version, if you prefer that. • Dashes are often used to introduce an. Hold down the Alt key, press 0 1 5 0 on the numeric pad, and then release the Alt key. Mark said: “I am confused if I should finish them with one of the final stop punctuation marks (when, as I read, 1- every sentence must be finished by an appropriate punctuation mark [the final stop], and 2- neither the dash nor the ellipsis are the final stop punctuation marks). The Space In French Punctuation. In order to type an en dash on a Mac product, you can hold down the ‘Option’ and ‘-‘ keys simultaneously and an en dash ‘–’ should appear. However, some style guides, such as the Associated Press. En dashes (–) represent a range between numbers, dates, and times. Use a dash instead of a comma when you want to strongly set off an idea. MLA doesn't touch on more than 2 subtitles; however, there is a syntax for a work with more than one title which makes use of ; or, as the delimiter, so perhaps stay away from using semicolons. Em dashes are most often used in pairs to call a reader’s attention to the material they set off, making words, phrases, or clauses particularly dramatic or emotional. Other Types of Dash. JAWS is the most likely of the screen readers to read these kinds of punctuation marks. There should be no space between the en dash and the adjacent material. Also, "overuse of the em dash weakens the flow of material" (APA, 2020, p. However, The Oxford Style Manual notes that “many British publishers use an en rule with. FWIW, my product_codes that have a dash show as a dash (hex 2D). Fiber in the U. In doing so, the em dash acts similarly to commas, semicolons, colons, and parentheses. Mac. The dash can also be used to represent a pause, but a more. There is no difference in meaning between fiber and fibre. Don’t overthink it—let intuition guide you. Notwithstanding its versatility, the em dash is best limited to two appearances per sentence. The em dash indicates a shift in Isaac's mood. There's no shortcut and the only way to do it on a keyboard is to type the em dash alt code (Alt + 0151) or the en dash alt code (Alt + 0150). Comillas españolas (Angle Quotes) and Comillas inglesas (Quotation Marks) Where to Practice Using Spanish Punctuation; Find and Correct the Mistakes in the Following. Insert em Dash. When Your Punctuation Says It All (!) 364. British authors often prefer to use an en-dash ( – ) with spaces on either side rather than the em. APPLICATION. The en dash, often overlooked, is a punctuation mark that can be used in place of an em dash. An em dash creates an interruption in a sentence like a semicolon, but with flair (we’re partial). A colon is a more formal but weaker punctuation mark than an em dash. An em dash is a versatile punctuation mark that looks like an extended dash. " A Word, Please: A look at the em dash, the hyphen and their rarely seen cousin, the. Perhaps a door was closed on the speaker’s face, cutting off her sentence. The commands extendash and extemdash are also used to produce en-dash (–), and em-dash (—), respectively. em-dash — Long hyphen (—) named em-dash because the dash historically is the length of a lowercase m. 1)”Can we go to the cinema?” she asked. Actual output : 1993 1995 Expected output : 1993 – 1995 I have done the UTF-8 encoding in Java but still getting the same output in the excel. Being so versatile can create confusion if overused, therefore it is best limited to two appearances per sentence. On a Windows-based system, you can form an em dash on a keyboard by holding down the Alt key and typing 0151. The Latin preposition cum means “combined with,” “also used as,” or “along with being. The Unicode standard introduced a separate character U+2015 ― HORIZONTAL BAR to be used as a quotation dash. For example, don’t use a dash to begin the interrupter and a comma. Typesetters will most likely try to track you down and beat you to death if they discover you're using the wrong term :-) Share. Another way to create them is to press and hold Alt and type 0151 on a Windows device or select Option, Shift, and the hyphen key ( ‐) on a Mac. It is longer than a hyphen (-) or an en dash (–). Enter the Dash. Household appliances such as refrigerators and microwaves are. Most authorities, including The Chicago. I went out with a guy based on his use of dashes once. (stenoscript) The dash may be written low, along the baseline, or high, at x-height, as convenient for whichever letters it links to. Examples. Em Dash: Length: The em dash is the longest dash. In modern usage, a question mark or an exclamation point—but never a comma, a colon, or a semicolon—may precede an em dash. Follow the end quotation mark with an em dash and the action or thought and then another em dash. -->if the information being set off is at the end of the sentence, use just one em dash. The Chicago Manual of Style says that “periods and commas precede closing quotation marks. To insert an em dash in MS Word, you must: Type a word (don’t put a space after it) Type two hyphens. g. Use a. This makes them a useful punctuation mark when we want to convey an argument or rapid back-and-forth dialogue between characters. For the the complete list of the first 256 Windows ALT Codes, visit Windows ALT Codes for Special Characters & Symbols. If you use it in academic writing, you might look unsure of yourself. When listing information, you may use the em dash between the list and independent clause when the list comes first. When interrupters fall midsentence, always use a pair of punctuation marks to surround them. The exclamation point is a mark of terminal punctuation. 4. You would simply end the line of dialogue, have a sentence of narration, and then have a new line of dialogue, even if it's the same speaker continuing. The correct use of dialogue tags. An alternative way of displaying speech is via the em dash. Aether still appears as a poetic affectation, especially in reference to the word’s ancient Greek and Latin senses, but. ” Originally, typewriters had monospaced fonts (skinny letters and fat letters. An em dash is a punctuation mark used in writing to denote a break or pause. APPLICATION. The good news is that the ACT isn’t going to test you on the differences between the two. En dashes are slightly shorter than an em dash and are used to connect numbers and words: 2000–2020, Paris–London, the score was 5–3. 🙽. 6 Dash [UEB §7. […] All water from the streams; dead birds were found In wells a hundred feet below the ground Such was the season when the flower bloomed. Ellipsis (…) [edit | edit source] A sequence of three dots is known as an ellipsis, which is commonly used to indicate omitted text. When you type the hyphen, en dash, and em dash, no spaces should appear on either side of the punctuation mark. Both spellings are many centuries old, and neither spelling was clearly prevalent on either side of the Atlantic until the second half of the 18th century. Em Dash — : ALT 0151; En Dash – : ALT 0150; Double Left Angle Quotation Mark « : ALT 0171 ; Double Right Angle Quotation Mark » : ALT 0187; Inverted Question Mark ¿ : ALT 0191; Inverted Exclamation Mark ¡ : ALT 0161; Symbol and Special Characters. Though not necessarily a matter of punctuation, there is one important distinction between American and British usage when it comes to dates. 5. 6. In the "Text" tab you will find the list of substitutions. The en dash is shorter than an em dash but longer than a hyphen. En and em dashes are longer than the hyphen. In the case of an actual question being asked I feel the mark would go before the em-dash. Then, click Undo Dash. For instance, you would render a character named Mr. In general it is the same length as an em-dash, and so this is often used instead. . An em dash is longer than the en. It’s known for being a one-job punctuation mark because it simply communicates questions. Otherwise, confusion rather than clarity is likely. Underscore: _. These are the em dash (—) and the en dash (–). These, along with the other 12, are all listed neatly and explained for you here. If you prefer, you can configure your keyboard in Windows to accept Unicode codepoint numbers, instead of "traditional". Em dashes (—) are extremely versatile. Some word processing programs read the two hyphens automatically as the single mark of punctuation known as. EM-DASH (–) – with this punctuation mark, you can introduce an explanation or specification, make a break in thought, or separate two parts of the sentence. Hyphens are not separated by spaces, while a dash has a space on either side. Dashes are used in the following five ways: To show in ranges for numbers or dates (e. Most commonly, a dash connects an independent clause with another, with a related thought plus a conjunction like or, but, yet, as, for, and after the second dash. The en dash (–) is one-half the width of an em. But OP is asking about "correct use of the em dash," not whether he should use it. On a Mac: En dash—press option+hyphen key. Always put commas and periods inside the quote. Many programs also automatically create an em dash when you type two single hyphens together. Most commonly, a dash connects an independent clause with another, with a. For example, don’t use a dash to begin the interrupter and a comma. An em dash (—) is a punctuation mark. If the information in parentheses has a question mark or an exclamation mark, use the punctuation mark inside the parentheses only if the sentence ends with a different mark. For degrees, use a space between the en dash and the degree and the emphasis. It is wider than an en dash (–) or a hyphen (-). But in that case the dash is supposed to be the length of the omitted word, not just a mere em-dash. The sixth edition recommended an unspaced em dash for these purposes. Em dashes are the longest of the common dashes (I won’t be covering 2-em and 3-em dashes in this article) and are so named because they are the width of the letter “m. Em dash shortcut 3 (Mac): If you are on mac, below is a shortcut to help you type the em dash sign in Word. Dashes set off loosely related comments and sudden breaks in thought. It's difficult for me to judge the tone of the sentence examples you used, so I can't give a specific suggestion. Spaniards actually have a bit of a hard time when learning those alternative uses in. Examples: James opened the door and was surprised to see her. Like commas and parentheses, em dashes often set off descriptive or parenthetical information. Em dashes for interruptions: Use em dashes when you are interrupting the main idea of a sentence. The example I saw comes from a tweet, reproduced here for convenience: "For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior—not a divine social justice warrior, not a liberation. The dash works somewhat like parentheses or commas, but it is used where a stronger punctuation is needed. For more ALT codes for various signs and symbols, see ALT Codes for Miscellaneous Symbols. The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines a dash as “the mark (—) used to separate parts of a sentence. Type a single dash or hyphen. Sometimes, a character might stutter or stammer over certain words. Hyphens might look like dashes, but they aren’t dashes. These marks are available in most word processors, though many people simply use single and double quotation marks: 5’ 10”. 2. EM dashes are wonderful if used correctly in poetry, but not in stories (especially being useless around question marks). By changing the console code page to something that does support the en dash character, such as 1252, this problem may be corrected. Guion Largo o Raya – Em Dash. 2] In braille, a dash is represented by dots 6, 36 (,-). Do not put a space before or after the dash. To create an em-dash on a Mac computer, hold down the shift and option/alt and type -. However, there is a specific use native speakers give to this Spanish punctuation mark: in emails or letters, greetings are written using colons, whereas in English you usually use a comma unless you’re being very formal. The question mark needs to go after Language. A single em dash character or a tilde may also be used. BOND #2: Adverbs There are many types of adverbs, but by definition, an adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. If the second clause starts with who then it will become dependent and therefore won't be preceded by a semicolon. Here’s a trick to help you remember which is which. Easily find character codes for the HTML # sign, HTML @ symbol (at symbol), HTML percent sign, HTML ampersand (& HTML code), HTML copyright symbol and HTML caret insertion point, along with regular punctuation like the question mark, exclamation point, non-breaking hyphen, non-breaking space and more. 6. Although these punctuation marks look similar at a glance, they are actually distinct punctuation marks with specific intended uses and with distinct unicode character values. Trademark ™ : ALT 0153;There are three types of dashes in writing used to convey different ideas in an engaging way. Hold down. Windows. These sentences can be in the form of a direct question or an indirect question. A hyphen makes compound words. ”Command for an Em dash on a mac : Shift-Option-Hyphen; Command for an Em dash on Microsoft Word : Alt + Ctrl + (minus) Em dash in HTML : — or — En Dash. Note: An en dash is slightly longer than a hyphen. How to type — Em Dash?. Dash: Dashes set off a series within a phrase: “Of the many breakfast options — omelets, waffles, pastries — he only wanted coffee”; indicate a break in thought: “Felipe’s is a popular eatery — in Harvard Square”; or attribute a quotation to an author: “‘You must do the thing you think you cannot do. Two em dashes can be used to indicate missing portions of a word, whether unknown or intentionally omitted. Perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons. 89), would be to only use an em dash after a period if the period marked an abbreviation: An em dash derives its name from being the approximate width of a capital M. Quotation from wiki ( Em dash) When an actual em dash is unavailable—as in the ASCII character set—a double ("--") or triple hyphen-minus ("---") is used. Examples. This measurement is. Type another word. Here are the code points for the Unicode dashes that are of the Common script, along with their general categories. Esempi: When the course finally started — nearly two months after it was organized — the student could not attend. "-", the line in notepad will look like this for e. In example 4, the 1st quote should be a complete sentence or an ellipse followed by a new paragraph describing Bob's face, followed by another paragraph with Peter's response. That might be something worth fixing in case you have people with accents in their names, that are. W he n u sed i n pl a ce o f p a rentheses at t he end of a sentence, only a single dash is used. 87): English learners commonly make the mistake of using em dashes incorrectly. Accordingly, the em dash, under the right circumstances, serves as an alternative to any of the other marks—the comma, colon, semicolon, and parentheses—as long as it is used sparingly. Waggon was preferred in British English until a century ago, 1 and it still appears occasionally, but it is fast becoming archaic. If you want to make your writing easier to read and generally look more professional, you should know what. [Emphasis mine. First, one is longer: The em dash (—) → which is like two hyphens joined together. Wave dash ( ～) Sorted by: 58. If that is the case, you will notice a space on either side of. Ellipsis, dash, and colon. What is the difference between en and em dashes? The shorter en dash (–) is used to mark ranges and with the meaning “to” in phrases like “Dover–Calais crossing. En Dash vs. “Wait!” she shouted. The word ellipsis comes from an ancient Greek word that means “to leave out. nouns followed by numerals or letters. Technically, the mark designating feet is a prime; the mark designating inches is a double prime. The em dash can be used in place of commas, colons, semicolons, and parentheses to increase sentence variety and readability. 9. I think the real question is whether it's allowed. The conventions for dialogue allow a narrator to “interrupt” the speakers at any time and for any reason. Modern Japanese uses the question mark in the same way English speakers do to denote a question, be it typed or handwritten. Minus Sign: −. This little symbol is beloved. It doesn't. How to create en dashes and em dashes. It can either become: Woman: without her, man is nothing. However, you can use dashes or em-dashes. 2. Type another word. The president’s speech both began and ended with the word “freedom. Resume the dialogue with another opening quotation mark, complete the dialogue, and end with a period and a closing quotation mark. Look at my use of em dashes in this post, aside from the previous sentence. They represent something. Dashes and hyphens aren’t the same thing. Comments. Type another word. This is largely the result of the many different ways the comma is used. It also works for supplemental essays (SUPER useful for ones that make you write under 125 words *ahem Yale). 1. em-dash — Long hyphen (—) named em-dash because the dash historically is the length of a lowercase m. It is longer than both the en dash and the hyphen, and its length is equal to the width of the letter “M” in the given font. Dashes are generally more abrupt and can signify a rapid change of topic. Use a dash instead of a comma when you want to strongly set off an idea. Writers have three choices of punctuation to set off sentence interrupters—commas, parentheses, and em dashes. " "The sixth edition. S. Em-dashes in Place of a Semicolon. The second option likens the word to verbs like fit and knit, which are usually uninflected. Who doesn’t like dashes as emphasis techniques? Just consider the following guidelines: • Note that em-dashes are more emphatic than commas. Don’t put any spaces before and. A hyphen (-) is shorter still. A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that’s used to join words or parts of words. INCORRECT: The score right now is 3 – 1. It can also be used to indicate each person’s speech in a dialogue. Have you a reason why you think curved brackets should be abandoned in favour of dashes in this particular example? The linked article doesn't contrast differences in availability or effect between the punctuation variants available. 2. left single quotation mark: 146 ’ right single quotation mark: 147 “ left double quotation mark: 148 ” right double quotation mark: 149 • bullet: 150 – en dash: 151 — em dash: 152 : ⃜ : small tilde: 153 ™ trade mark sign: 154 : š : Latin small letter s with caron: 155 › single right-pointing angle quotation mark: 156 : œ. It then gives two examples, the second of them demonstrating that "the period . The en dash is a punctuation mark that is slightly longer than a hyphen (-) but shorter than an em dash (—). But it is necessary first to make the difference between a hyphen, and an em dash vs en dash. The question mark can be followed with a dash where necessary: He left—would you believe it?—immediately after the ball. And be careful to not mix different punctuation marks. Improve this answer. While closely related to other dashes—like the en dash (–) and hyphen (-)—the em dash serves a unique role in typography. The longer EM dash is used as a break or to separate additional information in a sentence. Examine these useful hyphen, em dash and en dash examples. Learn more about punctuation. In most situations, a colon is better than an em dash, but if the list is being tacked on to the end of a complete sentence, or feels like an aside (see above), then an em dash might make sense. There should be no space on either side of the dash, including when it is followed by a quotation mark. You can use such punctuation as periods, commas, semi-colons, colons, parentheses, brackets, quotation marks, dashes, exclamation points, question marks and some others. However, I can't recall an em dash being used according to your first case in modern publishing. ” No spaces on either side of the em dash. The other function is to punctuate compound modifiers that include an open compound or two or more hyphenated compounds. If the action is in the middle of a sentence, use em dashes outside the quotation marks. Em dash: —. ”. Google Docs: Type two hyphens in a row (it will become an en dash) If you’re using Microsoft Word, you can use autoformat to create an en dash. The different styles of dashes include the en dash “–”, the em dash “—”, and the horizontal bar “―”. The August–September issue of a magazine. And an example:There are two primary types of dashes: the em dash (—) and the en dash (–). Select the Replace, Replace All, or Find Next button (see figure 6). 2 - En dashes are shorter than em dashes. An en dash is always used without any space before or after it. newspaper publishing was to represent an em dash with two. Looking at the other commend where u/xlrod has a fix; what you have instead is char 65533 or - not a question mark, but a placeholder Unicode "I dunno what this is" character - that suggests your export wasn't right, and has mangled some characters. Technically, the mark designating feet is a prime; the mark designating inches is a double prime. Windows. AP refers to these simply as dashes and requires a space on either side. Some consider its use informal. I solved by this link. Em dashes (also known as m-dashes or em rules). For your example: “Well, I thought you—” He stopped himself. (stenoscript) When used as punctuation, an en or em dash is doubled, like a long ⹀, to distinguish it from its phonetic use. The shorter en dash (–) is used to mark ranges and with the meaning “to” in phrases like “Dover–Calais crossing. A colon is quieter; a dash is more emphatic and dramatic. Question Mark (?) In grammar, a question mark is a familiar punctuation used to end interrogative sentences. Then, after you press the space bar after the word after the dash, most word processing programs will turn those two little hyphens‐‐into an em dash—like so. Many programs also automatically create an em dash when you type two single hyphens together. There are many ways to use dashes in writing. Use an em dash to mark sharp turns in thought. (An em dash, or long dash, is used: in pairs, to mark off information or ideas that are not essential to an. In English writing, quotation marks or inverted commas, also known informally as quotes, talking marks, speech marks, quote marks, quotemarks or speechmarks, are punctuation marks placed on either side of a word or phrase in order to identify it as a quotation, direct speech or a literal title or name. ” En-dashes are mandatory only for public documents. Alternatively, pairs of em dashes are used to mark off additionalMy question is the same as keymap swap underscore and dash, but for Windows instead of Linux. To insert an interjection in the middle of a sentence, place one em dash on both sides of the interjected phrase. Em dash character is not a part of ASCII character set. ) If I run the sql statements of the stored procedure until the final select statement only, the data look fine, dash character is still a dash character. At a fundamental level, an Em dash is used to create a strong break in the structure of a sentence. The em dash performs a versatile function to help separate certain words from the rest of a sentence. Dash. The em dash in American English is a punctuation mark that helps to convey emphasis, introduction, interruption, or a swift change of thought. Here’s how to master the em-dash, exclamation point and question mark. . There are also some other rules regarding what to do if the title includes a question mark, ellipsis, or a colon already. The difference between a parenthetical comment using parentheses, and one using em dashes, is probably a matter of style. ”. Notice in these examples, the em-dash has no spaces around it, while the en-dash does. Use of it is more common in formal academic writing that must cite sources. To illustrate, I’m going to reproduce the first sentence of this paragraph, but with a semicolon: 'Break/Fold Mark'. On a typewriter, a comma or a period takes the same amount of space as any other letter. A dash is used to separate part of a sentence and indicate a break. It is slightly shorter in length, visually resembling a hyphen, but with different usage. This will insert the em dash symbol into your Word document. 🙽. To create interrupted dialogue that everyone will recognize as such, use an em-dash where you want to end the dialogue. (Note that AP style does not use en-dashes. There is no piece of punctuation that means pause. There are two types of dash. A space is used before and after the en-dash when used in literary copy. 1. Question marks, exclamation points, and dashes fall inside or outside closing quotations.