Note that dashes are rather informal and should be used carefully in writing. Dashes are often used informally instead of commas, colons and brackets.

A hyphen joins two or more words together while a dash separates words into parenthetical statements. The two are sometimes confused because they look so similar, but their usage is different. Hyphens are not separated by spaces, while a dash has a space on either side.

Generally, you need the hyphen only if the two words are functioning together as an adjective before the noun they’re describing. If the noun comes first, leave the hyphen out.

The character is called an em dash because it is one em wide, a length that varies depending on the font size. One em is the same length as the font’s height (which is typically measured in points). So in 9-point type, an em dash is nine points wide, while in 24-point type the em dash is 24 points wide.

The em dash (about as wide as an uppercase M), is a relatively artistic punctuation mark, compared to the more technical hyphen and en dash. An em dash is most often used to indicate a pause in a sentence. It’s stronger than a comma, but weaker than a period or semicolon.

You can avoid informal punctuation by replacing with a more formal punctuation alternative. Dashes can be replaced by several other punctuations including commas, colons and brackets.

A pair of em dashes can be used in place of commas to enhance readability. Note, however, that dashes are always more emphatic than commas.

Use Dashes in Place of a Comma Em dashes can be used in pairs to replace commas when writing a parenthetical or interruptive phrase. The dashes have a slightly more emphatic feel, making the reader focus on this information that is set inside the special marks.

In effect, a dash allows you to redefine what was just written, making it more explicit. You can also use a dash as it is used in the first sentence of this paragraph: to frame an interruptive or parenthetical-type comment that you do not want to de-emphasize.

Two dashes can emphasize a modifier. Words or phrases that describe a noun can be set off with dashes if you wish to emphasize them.

A slash can show a line break in a poem, song, or play, usually if several short lines are being written together on one long line.

When your goal is to be seen as a polished and respected professional, you’re usually better off skipping the exclamation point altogether. And, while this might make things seem a little colder, more formal, or a touch impersonal, you’re smarter to go that route than to get too conversational too fast.

What’s the Difference Between Dashes and Hyphens? A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that’s used to join words or parts of words. It’s not interchangeable with other types of dashes. A dash is longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause.

Generally, you need the hyphen only if the two words are functioning together as an adjective before the noun they’re describing. If the noun comes first, leave the hyphen out. This wall is load bearing. It’s impossible to eat this cake because it is rock hard.

Hyphens’ main purpose is to glue words together. They notify the reader that two or more elements in a sentence are linked.

As a noun, in North America, usually “ice cream” does not have a hyphen. The hyphen might be seen more in British English, which has more hyphens in the written compound expressions than American English does. As an adjective, “ice-cream” is written with a hyphen, in American English too: I’d like an ice-cream soda.

The small words we are referring to in this case essentially include articles, conjunctions, and prepositions, which should not be capitalized (again, unless they are the first word of a title). Conjunctions like and, nor, but, for, and or should also be written in lowercase.

A few dictionaries, such as the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, list followup, written as one word, as an alternative to follow-up with a hyphen. If you are using it as a noun or adjective, put a hyphen between the two words: follow-up.

Capitalize the first word following a dash or colon in a title. Capitalize words such as in, out, off, up, and by in titles when they serve as adverbs rather than as prepositions. Capitalize short prepositions such as up, in, on, and for when used together with prepositions having four or more letters.

According to most style guides, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are the only words capitalized in titles of books, articles, and songs. Prepositions, articles, and conjunctions aren’t capitalized (unless they’re the first or last word).

In general, you should capitalize the first word, all nouns, all verbs (even short ones, like is), all adjectives, and all proper nouns. That means you should lowercase articles, conjunctions, and prepositions—however, some style guides say to capitalize conjunctions and prepositions that are longer than five letters.

Capital letters are useful signals for a reader. They have three main purposes: to let the reader know a sentence is beginning, to show important words in a title, and to signal proper names and official titles. 1. Capitals signal the start of a new sentence.

To capitalize is to record a cost or expense on the balance sheet for the purposes of delaying full recognition of the expense. In general, capitalizing expenses is beneficial as companies acquiring new assets with long-term lifespans can amortize or depreciate the costs. This process is known as capitalization.

You can avoid capitalized interest on student loans in the following ways: Make interest payments monthly while you’re in school. Paying the interest on unsubsidized loans during an in-school deferment will help you avoid capitalization costs, as will avoiding deferment or forbearance altogether.

You can use a capitalized interest calculator, but the formula for figuring interest capitalization is straightforward. Multiply the average amount borrowed during the time it takes to acquire the asset by the interest rate and the development time in years.

Capitalization is when unpaid interest is added to your loan principal. Before your first payment is due, any unpaid interest that has built up is added to the amount you borrowed (capitalized). From that point on, interest accrues on the higher balance so you end up paying interest on interest.

Capitalization of interest should be based upon the borrower’s ability to discharge the indebtedness in the normal course of business. Capitalized interest on loans is generally defined as uncollected interest which is added to unpaid principal in accordance with the contractual loan agreement.

Interest is only capitalized during the period under which the asset is being prepared for its intended use. The purpose of this is to obtain a more accurate representation of the full costs incurred in acquiring or constructing the asset.