- published: 28 Jun 2016
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A dash is a punctuation mark that is similar to a hyphen or minus sign, but differs from both of these symbols primarily in length and function. The most common versions of the dash are the en dash (–) and the em dash (—), named for the length of a typeface's lower-case n and upper-case M respectively.
Usage varies both within English and in other languages, but the usual convention in printed English text is:
[Em dash:] A flock of sparrows—some of them juveniles—alighted and sang.
[En dash:] A flock of sparrows – some of them juveniles – alighted and sang.
The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was fought in western Pennsylvania and along the present US–Canadian border (Edwards, pp. 81–101).