Do you use em dash?

blackcrowcrowd · Mar 13, 2026

TinaMigarlo said:
I wondered that too.
cant even google it, cause EM is standard for a number of technical things. Electro-Mechanical among them.

wait, EM.
as in... EM-dash.
i just don't get the sprint part.

in other news, I use the, what do they call it? The "stanford comma"? I just like it. Flows better to me.

Uh... what? Then what do you mean by EM sprint

CharlesEBrown · Mar 13, 2026

It was a joke. Can't maintain a true dash at my age.

I use an EM dash whenever editing software suggests it. Used to use it a lot - even had the ASCII code for it memorized, along with ° and a few others, but that was back in the 90s and early aughts.

TheKillingAlice · Mar 13, 2026

Yes. Quite a lot, actually.

LeslieLevendale · Mar 13, 2026

blackcrowcrowd said:
I have been binge reading a certain chinese webnovels and it seems to use quite a bit of em dashes. Do you guys use them? If yes (or no), why?

I think em dash is an essential tool for prose. I use it to create pause, add emphasis, or , I don't know, slip in a thought.

NapLovingImmortal said:
Not really. I never used it before AI, and dont really want to use it now cuz of... you know.

I did notice that editing softwares overuse em-dash. For that matter, so does AI.

But em-dash is still a good tool.

Some authors use them instinctively or because they are very good at punctuation, em...I don't know, because they picked it up at school.

Whatever...

That said, there are other ways to get the same effect.

Use whatever is your style.

Commit whatever crime you fancy committing against English language including against punctuation.

Be yourself on your pages and your readers will love you for it.

And f... the editors. Well, erm..., perhaps not verbatim.

This is my humble and "gentle" advice.

Avarice_Of_The_Seven · Mar 13, 2026

I used to use them a lot in the beginning, but now I only use them in a very specific situation. It's half because I'm scared of being accused of using AI, and half because I often forget the exact alt code for em dash (Which is alt+0151).

In the beginning, I didn't even know how to add an em dash, so I copy pasted it while polishing a chapter.

TheKillingAlice · Mar 13, 2026

Avarice_Of_The_Seven said:
I used to use them a lot in the beginning, but now I only use them in a very specific situation. It's half because I'm scared of being accused of using AI, and half because I often forget the exact alt code for em dash (Which is alt+0151).

In the beginning, I didn't even know how to add an em dash, so I copy pasted it while polishing a chapter.

To be honest, I use a lot of alt codes. ›‹«» for example. Ia also know how to use em Dash on alt -> —
But I mostly use the automatically replaced (in Word, when you use hyphen and then enter it will be replaced, so you can hit backspace and continue typing) en Dash, because I dislike that em Dash is so long. I always feel called out in situations like these, because I use it like em Dash, I just don't like how long it is. en Dash ftw.

(EDIT: I should probably back up that I'm not used to seeing the em Dash, because the way you use the em Dash is how you use the en Dash in my native language; we rarely ever use the actual em Dash. But I carried that into my English texts because nobody actually ever cared and I find it ugly.)

blushiemagic · Mar 14, 2026

I rarely use the em-dash; I learned about semicolons first.

Luka116 · Mar 16, 2026

I adore using em dashes, they're just too useful. I read a *lot*, often trying to follow the reading flow that I think™ the author wrote in their head. That means pausing in certain moments, w/commas, em dashes, or even speeding up. An em dash has other uses too, but in many ways it's just a comma that isn't a comma; it has a bigger visual impact on the reader, it can segment run-along sentence incredibly well, & also it's just fun to use :P

I've come a fair way since I started writing (not that you'd think it going off of my profile here lol, most goes unposted or the very least on alts) & em dashes are onna the things I've come to embrace & love in that time~~

LeslieLevendale · Mar 16, 2026

Luka116 said:
I adore using em dashes, they're just too useful. I read a *lot*, often trying to follow the reading flow that I think™ the author wrote in their head. That means pausing in certain moments, w/commas, em dashes, or even speeding up. An em dash has other uses too, but in many ways it's just a comma that isn't a comma; it has a bigger visual impact on the reader, it can segment run-along sentence incredibly well, & also it's just fun to use :P

I've come a fair way since I started writing (not that you'd think it going off of my profile here lol, most goes unposted or the very least on alts) & em dashes are onna the things I've come to embrace & love in that time~~

what is better visually? ... or — For my em dash stands out a bit more. easier on the yes.

Luka116 · Mar 16, 2026

LeslieLevendale said:
what is better visually? ... or — For my em dash stands out a bit more. easier on the yes.

it really depends on the sentence. To my knowledge elipses & em dashes cannot be used interchangably, except for a couple cases (trailing off, interruption maybe). Elipses are much neater, a hidden thing (not unlike "said" as a dialogue tag) that flows naturally whilst reading. Em dashes on the other hand *can* be hidden as well — a lotta readers don't even notice them — but it's a case by case thing. In this-here paragraph I'm writing they stand out, but imo in a good way that not only emphasizes a point w/out ending the sentece but also by serving as a sort of tiny bookmark for the eyes/brain

LeslieLevendale · Mar 16, 2026

Luka116 said:
it really depends on the sentence. To my knowledge elipses & em dashes cannot be used interchangably, except for a couple cases (trailing off, interruption maybe). Elipses are much neater, a hidden thing (not unlike "said" as a dialogue tag) that flows naturally whilst reading. Em dashes on the other hand *can* be hidden as well — a lotta readers don't even notice them — but it's a case by case thing. In this-here paragraph I'm writing they stand out, but imo in a good way that not only emphasizes a point w/out ending the sentece but also by serving as a sort of tiny bookmark for the eyes/brain

yes, you're absolutely right. Even if they are interchangeable (trailing off and interruption), I'd use em dash because they easier to read.

Bimbanana · Mar 16, 2026

Love to use it!
Very useful to create "timing"

Especially after my writing style becoming more dialogue heavy and script-like

LeslieLevendale · Mar 16, 2026

Bimbanana said:
Love to use it!
Very useful to create "timing"

Especially after my writing style becoming more dialogue heavy and script-like

Yes-yes. Timing is very important to keep readers engaged. My novels have long chapters (20+ pages). Without spot-on timing readers would get exhausted after Page 5.

Bimbanana · Mar 16, 2026

LeslieLevendale said:
Yes-yes. Timing is very important to keep readers engaged. My novels have long chapters (20+ pages). Without spot-on timing readers would get exhausted after Page 5.

IKR !!! Very useful for action scene too.
For example:

He looks up

Then–

KABOOOOOOOMMMM

LeslieLevendale · Mar 16, 2026

Bimbanana said:
IKR !!! Very useful for action scene too.
For example:

He looks up

Then–

KABOOOOOOOMMMM

Oh, yes. This seems very useful.

ConansWitchBaby · Mar 16, 2026

I use it exclusively for sudden interruptions. Cuz I keep forgetting the other use cases for it.

Marlowe · 2026-03-25T22:18:01+0000

AnEmberOfSundown said:
It's the appropriate way to interrupt a clause. Most of the time when people overuse commas, they should be using an em dash. Hyphens can be used for a stutter, but an em dash is the correct way to show someone interrupting a thought or someone else's speech. En dashes are only for things like date ranges, so that makes it easy.

I've been avoiding them because I associate them with AI subconsciously at this point. I'm trapped I tell you, trapped! Should I just suck it up and use them more? I'm really bothered by the idea of people even possibly thinking what I'm writing is touched by AI...

AnEmberOfSundown · 2026-03-25T22:32:16+0000

Marlowe said:
I've been avoiding them because I associate them with AI subconsciously at this point. I'm trapped I tell you, trapped! Should I just suck it up and use them more? I'm really bothered by the idea of people even possibly thinking what I'm writing is touched by AI...

You'll get accused of using AI for writing with good grammar or three-syllable words. Don't dumb yourself down.

Em dashes are opt-shift-hyphen on a Mac, in case you need it.

Dawnathon · 2026-03-25T23:51:54+0000

Not really. I'll use an en dash (shorter length) for interruptions, and that's about it. Almost all use cases for em dashes can be done with other formatting: parentheses, semicolons, often just a basic comma. It's a far more stylistic tool than a grammatical one.

Plus, AI tainted it a bit nowadays, but my stance above is the same regardless of what AI regurgitation is going on.

EldritchCoomer · 2026-03-26T01:31:27+0000

Use it quite frequently even outside of prose to emphasis a word or sentence after a complete sentence. Been trying to use it a lot less as of late.

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