An en dash is a punctuation mark that is slightly longer than a hyphen. It is used to denote a range, such as in a date range or number range. It is also used to connect two words that are related. Learning how to type an en dash on your keyboard can save you time when composing documents and emails.
What is an En Dash?
An en dash, also known as a n dash or a n-dash, is a punctuation mark that is slightly longer than a hyphen. It is used to indicate a range, such as in a date range or number range. It is also used to connect two words that are related. For instance, you could use an en dash to write the phrase “New York–Boston flight.”
Why Use an En Dash?
Using an en dash is a more concise way of expressing a range of numbers or dates than using two separate hyphens. It also eliminates the need to use the words “to” or “through” to express a range. It also helps to make your writing look more professional.
How to Type an En Dash on a PC Keyboard
Typing an en dash on a PC keyboard is a fairly simple process. First, press the Alt key and then type in the number 0150 on the numeric keypad. This will produce the en dash symbol. Alternatively, you can copy and paste the en dash symbol from a website or document.
How to Type an En Dash on a Mac Keyboard
Typing an en dash on a Mac keyboard is slightly different from typing it on a PC keyboard. To type an en dash on a Mac, press the Option key and the hyphen key at the same time. This will produce the en dash symbol. Alternatively, you can copy and paste the en dash symbol from a website or document.
En Dash vs. Em Dash
The en dash is not to be confused with an em dash. An em dash is a punctuation mark that is twice as long as an en dash. It is used to set off a phrase or clause in a sentence, or to indicate a break in thought. An em dash can also be used instead of parentheses or commas in a sentence. To type an em dash on a PC keyboard, press Alt + 0151. To type an em dash on a Mac keyboard, press Option + Shift + hyphen.
En Dash vs. Hyphen
An en dash should not be confused with a hyphen, which is a shorter punctuation mark that is used to join two words together, such as in a compound word. For instance, the phrase “mother-in-law” would use a hyphen. The en dash is longer than a hyphen and is used to express a range, such as in a date range or number range.
En Dash in HTML
If you are coding a website in HTML, you can use the HTML code “–” to display an en dash. This code should be placed inside angle brackets, just like other HTML tags. For instance, if you want to display the phrase “New York–Boston flight” on your website, you would use the following HTML code: “New York – Boston flight”.
Conclusion
An en dash is a punctuation mark that is slightly longer than a hyphen and is used to denote a range, such as in a date range or number range. It is also used to connect two words that are related. Learning how to type an en dash on your keyboard can save you time when composing documents and emails. To type an en dash on a PC keyboard, press Alt + 0150. To type an en dash on a Mac keyboard, press Option + hyphen. In HTML, you can use the code “–” to display an en dash.