Dashes show a relationship. Generally, en dashes for spans are less accessible for users than a phrase. Use spaced en dashes to set off non-essential information in sentences.
Use the correct symbols for en dash and minus sign
En dashes are half the width of the font height. Use them as a type of punctuation.
Don’t use an en dash instead of a minus sign. Screen readers will read dashes as dashes, not as the minus sign.
In Unicode, the en dash is U+2013.
To make sure screen readers read the minus sign, use the mathematical symbol for minus. In Unicode, this is U+2212.
Don’t confuse the dash or the minus symbol for a hyphen.
Use a phrase instead of an en dash for most spans of numbers
En dashes show a span when used with numerals, such as in a financial year, a range of values or span of time. En dashes sometimes appear in a span of words, such as in a span of days of the week.
Avoid using an en dash in most content.
Dashes can affect readability unless a user changes their screen reader’s default settings (punctuation verbosity settings). Screen readers generally won’t read out dashes by default. This can affect people’s ability to quickly understand spans.
That is why, in general content, it’s better to use phrases for most spans of numbers. You can use en dashes in technical content, particularly if it contains a lot of spans.
Spans in general content
Avoid using en dashes for spans in body text and headings. Instead, use the phrases:
- ‘from’ paired with ‘to’ – for example, ‘from 57 to 65 years’
- ‘between’ paired with ‘and’ – for example, ‘between Monday and Friday’.
Never mix ‘from’ or ‘between’ with an en dash.
Correct
- She worked from 10 to 28 January.
- All seminars run from 10:30 am to 11:30 am.
- Annual rainfall between 2017 and 2019 was lower than the long-term average.
- The help desk operates between 9 am and 4 pm daily.
Incorrect
- She worked from 10–28 January.
- All seminars run from 10:30–11:30 am.
- Annual rainfall between 2017–2019 was lower than the long-term average.
Follow exceptions to the general rule
There are exceptions to the rule of using phrases for spans in general content. The exceptions are for particular date spans and time spans.
Use an en dash for date spans in:
- financial years
- calendar years
- the titles of publications and programs
- citations containing a title that has an en dash
- terms of office
- lifespans (birth and death)
- when there is limited space.
Date spans in titles and headings should follow the general rule, except when:
- the heading contains a title that has an en dash
- using words would push the character count over 70 characters (including spaces).
Only use an en dash for time spans when you have limited space.
Date spans in titles and headings should follow the general rule, except when:
- phrases would push the character count over 70 characters (including spaces)
- the dash is part of an existing heading or title that you are citing as a reference.
Use an en dash for financial years
For financial years, use 4 digits for the first number and only 2 digits for the second. Join them with an unspaced en dash. This will not create any issue for users who rely on screen readers.
Use the phrases ‘financial year’ and ‘financial years’ at first mention, unless the context makes the meaning clear.
Example
- The 2019–20 budget [The financial year starting in July 2019 and finishing in June 2020]
- The department recently published a list of gifts received by officials during the 2022–23 financial year. A list of gifts received during 2023–24 will be published in September 2024.
For financial years that cross centuries, use 4 digits on either side of the en dash.
Example
- The 1999–2000 budget [The financial year starting in July 1999 and finishing in June 2000]
- The department recently published a list of gifts received by officials during the 1999–2000 financial year. A list of gifts received during 2001–02 will be published in September 2002.
Use an en dash for calendar years
For calendar years, use 4 digits for the first number and either 4 or 2 digits for the second number. Join them with an unspaced en dash.
Use the phrases ‘calendar year’ and ‘calendar years’ at first mention, unless the context makes the meaning clear.
Example
- We provide indicative statistics at the halfway point of each 4-yearly reporting cycle. The following indicative statistics cover the 2023–24 calendar years. You can find indicative statistics for 2021–22 on our website.
Use an en dash for date spans in titles of publications and programs
Date spans often appear in the titles of government publications and programs. When you create a title, use 4 digits for the first year and 2 digits for the second year. If you cross the century, always use 4 digits for both years.
Use 4 digits on both sides of the span for these titles if that is your organisation’s house style.
When you refer to an existing title, follow the style that was originally used for year spans.
Example
- The diversity strategy 2020–25
- The Lake Eyre basin plan 1999–2004
- The state government has opened the 2023–24 Skilled Migration Visa Nomination Program.
- They found the statistics in The year book of international trade 1922–23.
- ‘Headway’ is my favourite poem from the collection titled Tryptych: selected poems 1956–1962.
- The Milk for school children scheme 1951–74 provided free milk to Australian primary schools.
- You can find more about milestones in our Wellbeing Action Plan 2005–2008.
Reproduce titles with dashes when you cite them as a reference.
Example
- 1Department of Business Measures (DBM), ‘Business statistics 1990–91’, Australian Business Series 5, DBM, Australian Government, 1991. [Footnote or endnote]
Use an en dash for terms of office
A person’s term of office usually appears in parentheses after the person’s name. Always use 4 digits for both dates, joined by an unspaced en dash.
Like this
Australia’s prime minister at the start of the Depression was James Scullin (1929–1932).
Not this
Australia’s prime minister at the start of the Depression was James Scullin (1929–32).
Use an en dash for a person’s lifespan
Dates of birth and death usually appear in parentheses after the person’s name. Always use 4 digits for both dates, joined by an unspaced en dash.
Write this
Caroline Chisholm (1808–1877)
Not this
Caroline Chisholm (1808–77)
Use an en dash for date spans when space is limited
Follow the general rule and use words for date spans unless you have limited space. This could be in display text, tables, lists or in social media posts.
Use the following style for en dashes in spans of days and months:
- The en dash is spaced when the day and month appear on both sides of the span.
- The en dash is unspaced when the month appears only at the end of the span.
Example
Restrict the use of en dashes for date spans in headings
Only use en dashes for date spans in headings when:
- your heading includes a title that contains en dashes
- using words pushes the character count above 70 characters (including spaces).
In all other cases, write date spans in headings with words. Use the phrases ‘from … to’ and ‘between … and’.
Example
- Publication of the International engagement strategy 2023–26 [Heading in a document. The heading contains a publication title.]
- Background to the Strategic plan 2021–23 [Heading contains a publication title]
- Human trafficking and slavery in Australia from 2015 to 2019 [Heading with ‘from … to’; 60 characters with spaces]
- Overview of human trafficking and slavery in Australia 2015–2019 [Heading with en dash; 64 characters with spaces, but 71 characters if had used ‘from … to’]
Only use an en dash for time spans when space is limited
Follow the general rule and use words for time spans unless you only have limited space. This could be in display text, tables, lists or in social media posts.
The spacing of the en dash depends on the position of elements in the span.
Use a spaced en dash when:
- ‘am’ or ‘pm’ appears on both sides of the span
- the time is in the 24-hour clock format.
Use an unspaced en dash when:
- the ‘am’ or ‘pm’ appears only at the end of the span
- ‘noon’, ‘midday’ or ‘midnight’ appears in the span.
Example
- Free events this month
Good work design in practice
Monday 4 April 1.30–2.30 pm
Our changing demographics: policy implications
Thursday 18 April 11:15 am – 12 midday
#OurAPS #apsacademy #AustralianGovernment
Use an en dash for spans in technical content
In technical content where there are many numbers, you can use en dashes for number, date and page spans. Don’t combine en dashes with ‘from’ or ‘to’ in the spans.
Don’t use spaces either side of these en dashes if they include a numeral on each side.
Example
- There were 25–30 head of cattle in quarantine in June and 50–60 in July. [Number span]
- Air quality declined during the 2003–2006 reporting period. [Date span]
- This same result was reported in Smith and Jones (2020:5–15). [Page span]
Join nouns with en dashes to show equal relationships
Use en dashes between 2 nouns that both retain their original meaning. These are called ‘coordinate nouns’.
When describing something, coordinate nouns can function as adjectives.
Example
- The Murray–Darling Basin [The Murray River and the Darling River combine to form the basin river system.]
- A Sydney–Melbourne flight [Sydney and Melbourne combine to form a single travel route.]
If you used a hyphen instead, you create a compound noun. These cannot stand in for coordinate nouns.
Example
- student-teacher [A compound noun, meaning a teacher who is also a student, uses a hyphen.]
- student–teacher ratio [A coordinate noun, describing the ratio of students to teachers, uses an en dash.]
If one part of a coordinate noun is made up of more than one word, use a space either side of the en dash. Otherwise, do not include spaces around en dashes for coordinate nouns.
Example
Australia – New Zealand relations [The relationship is between Australia and New Zealand, not ‘Australia’ and ‘New’.]
Rewrite to avoid joining prefixes with an en dash
A hyphen normally attaches a prefix to an adjectival phrase. An en dash is correct in some cases, not a hyphen.
If the phrase is not hyphenated, such as in a proper adjectival phrase, you can use an en dash between the prefix and the first word.
The capitalisation of the proper adjectival phrase and the en dash show that the prefix applies to all the words.
Example
pre–Cold War policies
In these cases, if you can, reword the phrase so that it doesn’t include the prefix.
Example
policies from before the Cold War
Space en dashes in sentences to set off non-essential information
Spaced en dashes create a pause in a sentence to add extra meaning, similar to commas and brackets.
Use them rarely to use them effectively – for example, to draw attention to a new and important detail for your main idea. As a rule, don’t make your sentences complex or long.
En dashes inside a sentence
Spaced en dashes draw attention because they aren’t as common as other punctuation marks. They help some people scan content by showing that information is non-essential or parenthetical.
Spaced en dashes can separate a clarification, an interruption, a correction, a short list or a summary from the rest of the text.
Always space punctuating en dashes with a single space on either side of the dash. Spaces allow automatic line breaks in front of or after the dash.
Often, you need a pair of en dashes.
Example
Three rivers – the Murray, Darling and Murrumbidgee – were discussed in the report.
If the parenthetical information is at the beginning or end of the sentence, you can use one dash.
Example
There was no time to plan – a shortcoming that would later cost millions.
Make sure the rest of the sentence makes sense.
If you remove the content between the en dashes, the rest of the sentence must be a complete sentence.
Example
- The allies – the USA, Australia and New Zealand – signed the pact in 1951.
- The allies signed the pact in 1951.
In a sentence with one en dash, one side of the dash must be a complete sentence.
Like this
Solar, wind, hydro and tidal power – all are viable options for renewable energy. [‘All are viable options for renewable energy’ is a complete sentence.]
Not this
Solar, wind, hydro and tidal power – are viable options for renewable energy. [The en dash is not correct here. Neither side of the en dash is a complete sentence.]
Em dashes
Em dashes are the same width as the font height.
Various style guides treat dashes differently. Some styles use unspaced em dashes instead of spaced en dashes.
Both dashes are grammatically correct and can be used to show:
- additional, amplifying and parenthetical material
- an abrupt change.
Never use both types of dashes for the same purpose.
Spaced en dashes are Australian government style and should be used in digital content.
Follow this style convention unless a different style reference applies. For example, you might submit a journal article and need to follow the publisher's style, which uses unspaced em dashes. Follow one style: apply it throughout.
In Unicode, the em dash is U+2014.
If you are using em dashes in your content, don’t space them. The spaced em dash creates too great a gap in text. This is a typographical concern and interrupts reading flow.
An unspaced em dash won’t automatically break over a line. This will mean you need to force a line break on either side of the dash. It can either end or begin a line of text.
Use 2 em dashes for some quoted speech and deliberate omissions in text
To show a sudden interruption in quotations and reported speech, use 2 em dashes in a row. The 2 em dashes follow a space.
Ellipses cannot be used for this purpose, as they show the writer has deliberately left out quoted speech. Read related guidance on ellipses.
Example
‘Any more questions before ——’ [The double em dashes show an interruption in a quotation.]
Two em dashes also show when a name or other information is omitted in body text in general content. This can be useful when something needs to be withheld for privacy or other legal reasons, for example.
Use a space if the em dashes replace a whole word, but don’t include a space between the dashes and part of the word.
Example
The deed, signed by ——, was legally binding.
S—— signed the deed in 2017.
Release notes
The digital edition revises guidance about use of dashes.
It recommends using a spaced en dash (as well as commas, colons and brackets) to show additional, amplifying and parenthetical material. The en dash also signifies an abrupt change. The sixth edition recommended an unspaced em dash for these purposes.
The shift from em dash to en dash reflects contemporary writing practice and the new focus on digital content. The en dash is spaced so screen readers don’t mistake an unspaced en for a hyphen.
The digital edition also recommends using words instead of an en rule to link spans of numbers in some cases. Expert advice has informed this change. The change reflects accessibility considerations and style for numbers in contemporary digital content.
The digital edition has been updated to ensure consistency with the 2024 updates to 'Dates and time'.
The sixth edition recommends a full span of dates for terms of office, consistent with the treatment of dates of birth and death. Although the sixth edition included examples of spans of years, it did not mention terms of office explicitly.
The sixth edition included information about using en dashes in formatting. This is less relevant in a digital environment.
The digital edition departs from the Content Guide, which recommended a spaced em rule. The Content Guide recommended not using an en dash.
About this page
Evidence
Btb Translation Bureau (n.d.) ‘En dash’, Writing tips, Btb Translation Bureau website.
Butcher J, Drake C and Leach M (2006) ‘6.12.1: en rules’, Butcher’s copy-editing: the Cambridge handbook for editors, copy-editors and proofreaders, 4th edn, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Centre for Information Design Research (2016) ‘Number sequences’, The GOV.UK content principles: conventions and research, report prepared by University of Reading, UK Government, accessed 23 January 2020.
Content Design London (2020) ‘Hyphens and dashes’, Content Design London readability guidelines, Content Design London website.
European Commission (2020) ‘2.16: dashes’, English style guide: a handbook for authors and translators in the European Commission, European Commission.
European Commission (2020) ‘3.31: ranges’, English style guide: a handbook for authors and translators in the European Commission, European Commission
European Commission (2020) ‘6.21: time spans’, English style guide: a handbook for authors and translators in the European Commission, European Commission.
Murphy EM with Cadman H (2014) ‘7.6: Dash’, Effective writing: plain English at work, 2nd edn, Lacuna, Westgate.
Oxford University Press (2016) ‘4.11.1: en rule’, New Oxford style manual, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Oxford University Press (2016) ‘11.1.4: number ranges’, New Oxford style manual, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
University of Chicago (2017) ‘6.83: en dash as em dash’, Chicago manual of style, 17th edn, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
References
Bohman P (20 January 2014) ‘Why don’t screen readers always read what’s on the screen? Part 1: punctuation and typographic symbols’, deque Blog, accessed 21 January 2020.
Dixon JC and Bolitho B (2005–2019) Course notes and exercises: English grammar for writers, editors and policymakers, Centre for Continuing Education, Australian National University, Canberra.
Microsoft Corporation (2019) Keyboard shortcuts in Word: insert international characters, Microsoft website, accessed 1 December 2019.
Owen M (2018) How to type accented letters in macOS three different ways, appleinsider website, accessed 4 December 2019.
Oxford University Press (2016) ‘Punctuation’, New Oxford style manual, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Seely J (2001) Oxford everyday grammar, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Stilman A (2004) Grammatically correct, Writer’s Digest Books, Ohio.
Truss L (2003) Eats, shoots and leaves: the zero tolerance approach to punctuation, Profile Books, London.
Watson L (8 February 2017) ‘How to create content that works well with screen readers’, Accessibility in Government Blog, accessed 7 January 2020.
WebAIM (2017) Designing for screen reader compatibility, WebAIM website, accessed 23 January 2020.
The Unicode Consortium (2019) Unicode, Unicode website, accessed 2 December 2019.
Last updated
This page was updated Friday 21 June 2024.