En dashes –

There are 3 types of dashes:

the em dash is the longest, with the width of a letter 'M' (—)
the en dash is shorter, with the width of a letter 'N' (–)
the hyphen is the shortest (-).

There are 2 broad functions for the en dash:

to show a span of numbers or to link words of equal weight
to separate but highlight elements in a sentence.

The first function is best reserved for an en dash rather than the shorter hyphen.

The second function is also well served by a spaced en dash (text – text), but you can instead use an unspaced em dash (text—text) to achieve the same effect. This is partly a personal preference, but the ASG supports the general trend toward using an en dash for this function.

Number ranges, spans and scores

Use an en dash, generally unspaced, to link 2 numbers

5–10%

2020–50

The en dash’s most common use in workplace writing is for number ranges or spans. These will cover things such as dates, times and other measurements.

You’re most likely to use an en dash in a table or where you’re short of space. In body text, take care not to mix words like ‘from’ and ‘between’ with the dash.

Leave the dash unspaced where both numbers in the range relate to the same noun or unit of measurement, and generally place that unit after the second number. Otherwise, put a space on either side of the dash and make the units clear.

Key event	Date	Time
AGM	23 March	9–11 am
Quarterly staff lunch	14 April	11.30 am – 2 pm
Conference	31 May – 2 June	8.30 am – 4.30 pm daily

We forecast a major shift in our markets by 2025–26 (please see figures 1–4 on pages 22–25).

Driving to the new site from Head Office takes 40–45 minutes depending on traffic.

Junior students, aged from 5–8, visited the local aged care home.

The workshop will run on 2 – 3 November.

You can also use the en dash for scores.

The Bluewater Bay Mariners won 6–0 in the upset of the season.

Members voted 76–67 in favour of the bill.

Related but distinct words

Use an unspaced en dash to link words of equal importance, particularly for place-based connections or directions

the Sydney–Los Angeles flight

a north–south divide

Liberal–Labor bipartisanship

Abrupt changes in content

Use a spaced en dash instead of a comma

The director’s position was clear – but the CEO stayed firm.

The next 3 functions of an en dash offer an alternative to using an unspaced em dash.

The most common of these is to amplify or comment on the first part of a sentence in the second – but to draw most attention to the second part. A comma will also separate these elements, but it does not emphasise them to the same degree.

He suggested this was usual practice – but that's not the point.

He suggested this was usual practice, but that's not the point.

This function works best as an abrupt change in point of view, where you first state a fact but then want to comment on it as the author.

Amplification

Use a spaced en dash instead of a colon

Too many issues remained – location, state of repair …

You can also use a dash instead of a colon if you want to give some examples that amplify or illustrate a point you are making.

There are 3 benefits in taking this approach – improved quality, reduced costs and more efficient processing.

There are 3 benefits in taking this approach: improved quality, reduced costs and more efficient processing.

Most of the time, a colon will work better for this function, particularly if you are taking a neutral position on the examples. Reserve the dash for when you really want to underscore or colour what you list.

Parenthetical elements

Use a pair of spaced en dashes instead of brackets

The final use of an en dash is to highlight parenthetical elements within a sentence. In this case, enclose them with a dash on either side.

The user testing confirmed our recommendation – which we have stressed for some time – that we need to simplify this form.

The user testing confirmed our recommendation, which we have stressed for some time, that we need to simplify this form.

The user testing confirmed our recommendation (which we have stressed for some time) that we need to simplify this form.

Technically all 3 options above are grammatically correct, but rhetorically only the dashes provide the right level of strength for the emphasis intended here.

If you wanted to de-emphasise this parenthetical comment, the commas would then be appropriate. The brackets would make the comment milder again.

Subtitles

Use a colon rather than an en dash to introduce a subtitle

Fringe Benefits Tax: Calculating what you owe

Although you might sometimes see an en dash separate a title from its subtitle, it’s more common to use a colon.

If you do choose a dash, make sure it’s a spaced en dash ( – ) and not a hyphen ( - ).

See also: Dashes - – —, Em dashes —, Hyphens -

Function	Location
Places	Book a Canberra–Melbourne flight
Geography	Our licence covers the Sydney–Illawarra region
General	The parties signed an Employer–Union accord