Dashes, hyphens, colons, and semicolons

Front

What is a dash?

Back

A dash (—) is a punctuation mark used to indicate a break in thought or to set off a phrase for emphasis.

Front

When should a dash be used?

Back

A dash is used to create a strong break in the structure of a sentence, often to add emphasis or an explanation.

Front

What is a hyphen?

Back

A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark used to join words or parts of words together, such as in compound words.

Front

When should a hyphen be used?

Back

A hyphen is used in compound adjectives (e.g., well-known) and to connect prefixes to words (e.g., re-enter).

Front

What is a colon?

Back

A colon (:) is a punctuation mark used to introduce a list, a quote, or an explanation.

Front

When should a colon be used?

Back

A colon is used before a list or an explanation that follows an independent clause.

Front

What is a semicolon?

Back

A semicolon (;) is a punctuation mark used to connect closely related independent clauses.

Front

When should a semicolon be used?

Back

A semicolon is used to link two independent clauses that are closely related in thought without using a conjunction.

Front

What is the difference between a dash and a hyphen?

Back

A dash is longer and indicates a break in thought, while a hyphen is shorter and connects words.

Front

What is the difference between a colon and a semicolon?

Back

A colon introduces lists or explanations, while a semicolon connects related independent clauses.