FAQs about punctuation

What does a hyphen look like?

A hyphen (-) looks like a very short line. It is shorter than an en dash (–) and an em dash (—). It is also different from an underscore ( _ ).

On a computer keyboard, it is to the right of the zero (0) key. On a phone keypad, it is in the number menu, just underneath the “1” key.

Hyphens are used to connect words or parts of words (e.g., “self-reliant,” “semi-independent”).

Read this FAQ: What does a hyphen look like?

When do you use a hyphen in a sentence?

Hyphens are used in sentences to connect words (or parts of words) that act together as a unit. For example:

• Compound adjectives (“He is a well-known actor”)
• Compound nouns (“My sister-in-law is an engineer”)
• Numbers (“There are twenty-five students in my class”)

There are many rules about when hyphens should and should not be used. QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can help you use hyphens correctly in your writing.

Read this FAQ: When do you use a hyphen in a sentence?

What is an m dash?

The term “m dash” is a misspelling of em dash, which is the long dash used to indicate a break or to set off additional information in a sentence (e.g., “The rain—which has not let up for days—is predicted to end on Sunday”).

Read this FAQ: What is an m dash?

Should there be spaces around an em dash?

Typically, there is no space around an em dash (e.g., “The flight—which had already been delayed three times—was canceled”).

One notable exception is that Associated Press (AP) style requires spaces around an em dash, so you may see this in news articles (e.g., “The flight — which had already been delayed three times — was canceled”).

Consult your style guide to see what is preferred. All of the major academic style guides (APA, MLA, and Chicago) recommend not putting spaces around em dashes.

QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can help you make sure you are using em dashes correctly.

Read this FAQ: Should there be spaces around an em dash?

What’s the difference between an em dash and an en dash?

An en dash (–) is shorter and is used to indicate number ranges (e.g., “1958–1985”) or as a substitute for the word “to” in phrases like “the Albuquerque–Los Angeles flight.”

An em dash (—) is longer and is used like parentheses or commas to set off extra information or like a colon or semicolon to indicate a break in a sentence. For example: “My brother—well, technically my half-brother—is coming to visit this weekend.”

In British English, en dashes are used like em dashes. In this case, they have a space on either side. For example: “My brother – well, technically my half-brother – is coming to visit this weekend.”

A QuillBot Grammar Check can help you ensure you use dashes correctly.

Read this FAQ: What’s the difference between an em dash and an en dash?

How do I type an em dash in Word?

In Microsoft Word, there are several ways to type an em dash (—):

• While typing a sentence, you can type two hyphens (-) where you want the em dash to be. As you continue typing, Word will automatically convert this to an em dash.
• On a Mac computer, you can hold down option + shift and press the hyphen key (to the right of the 0).
• On a Windows computer, you can hold down Alt and type 0151 on the numeric keypad.
  • If you don’t have a numeric keypad, you can press the Windows button + period (.) to bring up the symbols menu.
• You can navigate to “Symbols” under the “Insert” menu to manually add an em dash.

If you want to type other special characters, like blank text, try QuillBot’s free invisible character generator.

Read this FAQ: How do I type an em dash in Word?

How do I type an em dash on a Mac?

To type an em dash (—) on a Mac computer, hold down option + shift and press the hyphen key (to the right of the 0).

Alternatively, for many programs and applications, you can type an em dash by typing two or three hyphens (-) in a row. The program will automatically convert this to an em dash.

If you want to insert additional characters, like an empty character, in your text, try QuillBot’s free invisible character generator.

Read this FAQ: How do I type an em dash on a Mac?

What word is always capitalized?

The first-person pronoun “I” is always capitalized in English. This includes its use in contractions (e.g., “I’m,” “I’ve,” “I’ll,” and “I’d”).

This rule is sometimes broken in poetry or in very casual text messages. But, in all other types of writing, “I” should always be capitalized.

Use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to catch any mistakes with capitalization.

Read this FAQ: What word is always capitalized?

What words do not get capitalized?

There are no words that are never capitalized in English because any word that begins a sentence should be capitalized. Additionally, words that are part of titles (except for articles, coordinating conjunctions, and short prepositions) are generally capitalized.

When not used in titles or as the first word of a sentence, words other than proper nouns and the first-person pronoun “I” are generally lowercased in English.

A free QuillBot Grammar Check can help you make sure you’re capitalizing words correctly.

Read this FAQ: What words do not get capitalized?