How to use dashes and hyphens in AP style

For a couple of straight lines, hyphens, em dashes and en dashes can be surprisingly tricky to use. But they’re a critical tool for any writer, especially if you’re hoping to add drama or connect thoughts together.

Let’s dive into how AP style says to use each of these punctuation marks properly to punch up your writing.

En dash: –

We’re starting with the easiest one. The en dash is slightly longer than a hyphen but smaller than the em dash. In other words, it’s the width of the letter “N.”

That’s really the most interesting thing about en dashes. AP style doesn’t use them, though some other styles may in limited capacities, such as between a range of years. In general, don’t worry about them.

Em dash: —

An em dash is longer than the en. If you guessed that it’s as wide as the letter “M,” you get a gold star. In AP style, the dash should be set off with spaces on both sides.

This little symbol is beloved by writers everywhere and hated by many editors. It’s the most dramatic of all punctuation marks — literally its most common usage is to signify an abrupt change in the sentence or a pregnant pause, according to the AP Stylebook. It can also be used to set off a clause within a sentence.