
Lately, the em dash has been getting side-eyed as a sign of AI-generated text. At We ❤️ Health Literacy Headquarters, we’re here to say: stop the em dash bash! The truth is, dear readers — the em dash has been a versatile punctuation mark (and one of our personal faves) since long before ChatGPT and friends came along. It’s flexible, it keeps things moving, and it sounds the way we talk. Used well, it’s not a giveaway that a writer’s been getting cozy with the bots — it’s a style choice.
Let’s back up for a second. The em dash, versatile as it is, isn’t the only dash. Dashes in general can be used to create a pause, break, or shift in a sentence to add emphasis, clarity, or dramatic effect. When used thoughtfully, dashes can help make writing clearer, more natural, and more conversational — especially in digital formats.
Not sure which dash to use? Here are our dashing tips:
Em dash ( — )
The em dash is the longest dash and so named because it’s the same width as an “M”. It’s used to set off a parenthetical comment or aside, or to add a dramatic (*faint*) pause.
Plain language tip: We recommend including a space on each side of the em dash to make it easier for people to read.
En dash ( – )
An en dash is a moderate-length dash. It’s the same width as an “N.” (Are you seeing a pattern here?) Commonly, it’s used in place of “to” for ranges (including dates and times), locations, and scores — like “the office pool party is 4:00–8:00 p.m.” or “the office–beach house commute” or “the handstand contest ended 13–5.” En dashes don’t need a space on either side.
Plain language tip: The en dash can be wonderfully useful when you don’t have much space for content (like on a social media graphic). But in most health comm-related use cases, we recommend using “to” instead of an en dash so it’s really clear that you’re not asking people to subtract.
Hyphen ( – )
A hyphen is the shortest, cutest (in our opinion) dash. It’s used to connect 2 words to create a compound word, like “long-term” or “high-tech.”
But this one can be tricky! Not sure if it’s signup, sign-up, or sign up? A couple of helpful hints:
- Verbs are usually 2 separate words, as in “Employees are encouraged to sign up for the ice cream cone relay race” or “Teams will face off on the lawn.”
- Nouns and modifiers are often either hyphenated or a single word, as in “Has anyone seen the signup sheet for the mocktail mixing competition?” or “The egg-and-spoon race did not result in serious injuries.” Check your chosen dictionary or style guide for specific guidance.
Bottom line: Dashes are tools for clarity and rhythm — and em dashes aren’t an unmistakable sign of AI writing. Used with skill, dashes can help us break up or connect ideas in flexible, easy-to-read, and engaging ways.
Copy/paste to share on social (and tag us!):Is the em dash really a red flag for AI writing? CommunicateHealth makes the case for this misunderstood punctuation mark — and offers tips for using all kinds of dashes: https://communicatehealth.com/wehearthealthliteracy/stop-the-em-dash-bash/ #HealthComm