Grammar rules can be tricky, but the difference in using a hyphen vs. dash is more straightforward than you might think. Read on to learn when—and how—to use each correctly in your writing.

Grammar rules can be tricky, but the difference in using a hyphen vs. dash is more straightforward than you might think. Read on to learn when—and how—to use each correctly in your writing.

When to use a dash A dash (specifically, an em dash) has a totally different purpose. It indicates a significant pause or surprising twist in a sentence.

Hyphens (-) Hyphens are only used to combine certain words together. They are not strong enough to set off phrases or words from a sentence. Use hyphens in the following situations: Use in compound ...

Grammar expert and enthusiast June Casagrande dives into the world of hyphens and how to actually use them in writing.

Hyphens are shorter than dashes and are used to connect words. Dashes are used as punctuation in sentences. Find out more in a Bitesize KS2 English guide.

Grammar columnist and expert June Casagrande dives into why we use the em dash and the AI myths associated with it.

It gets confusing because you use a hyphen when the descriptive phrase comes before the thing, but you don't when the phrase comes after: The chocolate-frosted cake was decadent.

Ah, the dash — the all-purpose punctuation mark. If you don't know what punctuation mark to use — you can't decide between a few, or you just have no clue — it's the one that seems like you ...