The dash is a punctuation mark that is usually written in the middle of a line of text.^[1] A hyphen is sometimes called a dash, but it is used differently.

Dashes are used to add more drama to writing. The two main forms of dashes are:

• The en dash (–) is the shorter of the two. It is longer than a hyphen but shorter than an em dash.^[2] In normal text it is about the width of the letter "n".^[3] An en dash is used to connect two numbers that make up a range (for example pages 3–6).^[3] It is also used to show a range of dates (2010–2011) or of time (11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.).^[2]
• The em dash (—) is so-named because it is about the length of an uppercase M.^[3] They are best used to show emphasis or for an interruption in thought.^[3] They can also be used in place of a comma, parentheses, or a colon.^[4] But they are less formal than the punctuation marks they replace.^[4]