Hyphens and dashes

A hyphen ⟦-⟧ is short and joins words or parts of words: ⟦a well-known writer⟧, ⟦re-enter⟧, ⟦twenty-one⟧. A dash ⟦–⟧ is longer, with a space on each side, and separates parts of a sentence: ⟦I opened the box – it was empty!⟧

Key facts

  • Two or more words that work together to describe a noun take hyphens: ⟦a part-time job⟧, ⟦a ten-year-old boy⟧, ⟦an up-to-date map⟧.
  • No hyphen after a word ending in ⟦-ly⟧ or after ⟦very⟧: ⟦a brightly coloured kite⟧, ⟦a very tall tree⟧.
  • Numbers from ⟦twenty-one⟧ to ⟦ninety-nine⟧ have a hyphen, and so do fractions in words: ⟦forty-seven⟧, ⟦two-thirds⟧.
  • A hyphen can change the meaning: ⟦re-sign⟧ (sign again) and ⟦resign⟧ (leave a job); ⟦a man-eating shark⟧ (a shark that eats people) and ⟦a man eating shark⟧ (a man who is eating shark).
  • A single dash adds a pause before a surprise or extra detail: ⟦He had one dream – to fly.⟧ A pair of dashes adds extra information in the middle: ⟦My uncle – a famous chef – cooked dinner.⟧

Worked examples

Example 1

Add the hyphens: ⟦a well known writer⟧

  1. ⟦well⟧ and ⟦known⟧ work together to describe the writer.
  2. Join them with a hyphen: ⟦a well-known writer⟧.

Answer: ⟦a well-known writer⟧

Example 2

Write ⟦34⟧ in words.

  1. Tens and units together take a hyphen.
  2. ⟦thirty-four⟧

Answer: ⟦thirty-four⟧

Example 3

Add a dash: ⟦I opened the box it was empty!⟧

  1. The surprise is ⟦it was empty!⟧
  2. Put the dash before it, with a space on each side: ⟦I opened the box – it was empty!⟧

Answer: ⟦I opened the box – it was empty!⟧