What is an en dash?
An en dash (–) is a punctuation mark that is wider than a hyphen (-) and narrower than an em dash (—). It connects related things: ranges of numbers or dates (pages 10–20, 2024–2026), places (the Boston–New York flight), and paired ideas. It means, in effect: from here to there.
En dash vs em dash vs hyphen
The three horizontal marks look alike, but each has its own job. The easiest way to keep them straight: the hyphen joins, the en dash connects, and the em dash interrupts.
| Mark | Width | Primary uses | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| – En dash | The width of a capital N | Ranges of numbers, dates, and times; connections between two things | pages 10–20 · 2024–2026 · the Boston–New York flight |
| — Em dash | The width of a capital M | A break in a sentence; setting off an aside or emphasis | Work should feel better — that's the whole idea. |
| - Hyphen | The narrowest of the three | Joining words into compounds; breaking words across lines | well-being · user-friendly · long-term |
How to type an en dash
The en dash isn't on the keyboard, but every platform has a shortcut for it.
| Platform | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| macOS | Option + - (hyphen) |
| Windows | Alt + 0150 on the numeric keypad, or Win + . to pick it from the symbols panel |
| iOS & Android | Long-press the hyphen key, then slide to the – in the pop-up |
| HTML | – or – |
| Word & Google Docs | Autocorrect usually does it for you: type a word, a space, a hyphen, a space, and another word (10 - 20), and it becomes an en dash. Word also converts two hyphens between words into an em dash. |
When to use an en dash
Ranges of numbers, dates, and times
The en dash stands in for “to” or “through” in a span. If you could read it aloud as “to,” an en dash is the right mark.
- Read pages 10–20 before Monday.
- The 2024–2026 roadmap.
- Office hours: 3:00–4:00pm.
Connections and relationships
When two independent things are paired — places, parties, ideas — the en dash draws the line between them.
- The Boston–New York flight.
- A client–consultant partnership.
- The theory–practice gap.
Compound adjectives with open compounds
When one side of a compound adjective is itself two words (an open compound), a hyphen isn't strong enough to hold it together — the en dash steps in.
- A New York–based team.
- The post–World War II era.
- A Nobel Prize–winning idea.
En dash questions, answered
What is an en dash?
An en dash (–) is a punctuation mark wider than a hyphen (-) and narrower than an em dash (—). It connects related things: ranges of numbers or dates (pages 10–20, 2024–2026), places (the Boston–New York flight), and paired ideas. It means, in effect, “from here to there.”
How do I type an en dash on a Mac?
Press Option + Hyphen (-). For an em dash, press Shift + Option + Hyphen.
How do I type an en dash on Windows?
Hold Alt and type 0150 on the numeric keypad. You can also press Windows + . (period) to open the emoji and symbols panel and pick the en dash from the symbols tab.
How do I type an en dash on iPhone or Android?
Long-press the hyphen key on the on-screen keyboard, then slide to the en dash (–) in the pop-up row of dash characters.
What is the HTML entity for an en dash?
Use – or the numeric reference – to render an en dash (–) in HTML.
When should I use an en dash instead of a hyphen?
Use an en dash for ranges (2024–2026, pages 10–20) and for connections between two things (the Boston–New York flight, a client–consultant relationship). Use a hyphen to join words into one, like well-being or user-friendly.
What is the difference between an en dash and an em dash?
An en dash (–) is the width of a capital N and connects related things, like ranges. An em dash (—) is the width of a capital M and marks a break in a sentence — like this — or sets off an aside.
Prefer the spicier version? Read What the Hell is an En Dash? on the blog.
Why we're called En Dash
The en dash is the mark that connects two related things — from here to there, from before to after. That's the work we do: helping teams get from where they are to where work feels better.