What is the purpose of long dashes?

The longer em dash (—) is used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence.

Why are some dashes longer than others in Word?

Cause. When you type text that is followed by a space and a hyphen, and then type more text, Word automatically inserts an en dash. Therefore, if a space appears before a hyphen, Word replaces the hyphen with an en dash. If text appears before a hyphen, Word makes no change.

What is the long dash called?

em dash
The dash (—), also called the em dash, is the long horizontal bar, much longer than a hyphen. Few keyboards have a dash, but a word processor can usually produce one in one way or another.

What does a long dash in a sentence mean?

The em dash (—) sets off a word or clause and adds emphasis. Or, it can signal an interruption (see our article on interrupting sentences for more on that!) or amplification (“expanding”) of an idea.

How do you do the long dash?

For an em-dash, hold down the Alt key and type 0151, then release the Alt key. That’s it! For an en-dash, hold down the Alt key and type 0150, then release the Alt key.

How do you make a longer dash in Word?

2. Inserting an em or en dash using Ctrl and keyboard shortcuts. To insert an em dash, click where you want to insert the em dash and then press Ctrl + Alt + – (minus sign on the numeric keypad). To insert an en dash, click where you want to insert the en dash and then press Ctrl + – (minus sign on the numeric keypad).

Which dash is about half the length of an em dash?

en dash
Despite its name, the en dash has more in common with the hyphen than with the em dash. In fact, it helps to think of the en dash, which is half the length of the em, as a variant of the hyphen.

How do you do a long dash?

The em dash can be used in place of a colon when you want to emphasize the conclusion of your sentence. The dash is less formal than the colon. After months of deliberation, the jurors reached a unanimous verdict⁠—guilty. The white sand, the warm water, the sparkling sun⁠—this is what brought them to Fiji.

How do I make a long dash in Word?

Fortunately, there are three easy methods:

1. Press [Ctrl]+[Alt]+-.
2. Hold down the [Alt] key and type 0151 on the numeric keypad.
3. Choose Symbol from the Insert menu, click the Special Characters tab, highlight the em dash, and click Insert.

Why is the dash longer than the hyphen?

A dash is longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. The most common types of dashes are the en dash (-) and the em dash (-). The em dash (about as wide as an uppercase M), is a relatively artistic punctuation mark, compared to the more technical hyphen and en dash. An em dash is most often used to indicate a pause in a sentence.

How do you make a long dash?

“Word allows you to insert an em dash (a long dash) by simply typing two dashes in a row. Word senses this as you finished the word following the dashes, and then replaces them with the em dash.

How do you make a long dash on keyboard?

The em-dash can be created on the PC by using holding down the ALT key and typing 0151 on the numeric keypad. Only the numbers on the right hand keypad do this, not the numbers above the letters. On the Mac, press Shift-Option and the minus key to make en em-dash.

How does a hyphen differ from a dash?

A hyphen joins two or more words together while a dash separates words into parenthetical statements. The two are sometimes confused because they look so similar, but their usage is different. Hyphens are not separated by spaces, while a dash has a space on either side.