en dash

American  

noun

Printing.

1. a dash one en long.

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en dash British  

noun

1. printing a dash (–) one en long

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Usage

What is an en dash? An en dash (–) is a punctuation mark often used to indicate relationships or connections.The en dash resembles a horizontal line and is larger than a hyphen (-) but shorter than an em dash (—). Most computer typing programs list the en dash in a menu of special characters or will automatically insert it in place of a hyphen.The en dash has specific uses that mean you will only see it occasionally. It is usually read as to or through, as in April–June, which we would read as April through June.When it is used, the en dash is often used in a range of dates (the January 1–March 31 quarter), a range of numbers (pages 15–20, children ages 5–9), and scores (Germany defeated Brazil 7–1).As well, the en dash is used to indicate relationships (the Lions–Tigers game) and conflicts (the Iran–Iraq War). And it’s used to indicate travel routes (the Atlanta–Chicago flight; the Main Street–12th Street bus).The en dash does not usually have a space before or after it. Check out this article for tips on how to use the en dash.

Compare meaning

How does en-dash compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• em dash vs. en dash
• hyphen vs. en dash

Example Sentences

It’s the length of an “m,” which sets it apart from the boring, shorter en dash.

From The Wall Street Journal

Indeed, this 5,000 year-old piece of punctuation has only stood in for letters the last three centuries or so, joined by the en dash in the 1950s.

From The Guardian

Watch: Mary Norris explains the difference between a hyphen, an en dash, and an em dash.

From The New Yorker

I hadn’t thought of myself for such a role previously; a poor speller, I rarely copy edited my own papers in college and didn’t have an opinion about the en dash, or even know how to use one.

From Slate

In instances such as given in the two preceding rules the en dash may sometimes serve if the em dash appears too conspicuous.

From Project Gutenberg