This Video Explains How to Use Hyphen, En Dash, and Em Dash Correctly.
When you write, grammar and punctuation can be tricky . If you’re not sure what all of these dashes are or how to use them, this video clearly explains the differences between hyphen (-), en dash (-), and em dash (-).
In a YouTube video from The New Yorker, Comma Queen Mary Norris breaks the rules for all three dashes. The hyphen is the shortest character used to create complex words (like cinder block) and when you break a word at the end of a line. The medium dash is a hybrid punctuation mark that is rarely used to link two connections (eg New York-New Haven Railroad) or for athletic performance (eg Yankees won 5–0). Finally, the em dash is the longest of the dashes and is usually used in pairs to replace unnecessary punctuation in a sentence and improve the situation a little. Norris’s example looks like this:
Recent investigations, including a pending case involving a man believed to be a senior manager of the Sinaloa Tunnel, have provided some answers.
Dashes can be confusing if you don’t know how to use them, but when used correctly, they can be really powerful. Now you can be a little more nimble.
The Queen of Commas: Crazy Dash | Youtube