AI and the Em Dash — What You Need to Know

(Uh oh, did we give ourselves away with that title punctuation?)

There's been a debate over the past few months about AI and the em dash. (For those unaware, this — is an em dash.) Here's what you need to know about it.

Nothing.

But just so you're in the loop, with the rise of ChatGPT and other AI software, word began to circulate on the internet earlier this year that the innocent em dash is a sign that particular pieces of writing were generated by AI. If you see any writing that uses em dashes, the story goes, then it's likely AI. Of course, this divided creatives into separate punctuation camps doing battle in places like LinkedIn and Reddit.

My position is simple — I use em dashes in my writing, and I'm not going to alter my writing style to please AI detectors. I prefer them over colons and other types of separation punctuation. Why?

They stand out.

They don't blend in with surrounding text like a colon.

They aren't as abrupt (to me) as parentheses.

And we don't need more commas.

A more productive discussion would center on the meaning of the em dash, and while on the subject of horizontal punctuation, the meaning of the en dash and the hyphen as well.

EM DASH (—)

What is it? The em dash is a line roughly as wide as the letter "m" — hence the name.

Where is it used? Em dashes are used to break up a sentence, usually to introduce a thought or an aside that doesn't quite fit grammatically.

For instance: I couldn't wait to get home because I knew my favorite meal — spaghetti and meatballs topped with a scoop of fresh ricotta — would be waiting for me.

Where else is it used? Em dashes are used in dialogue to indicate interruption or abrupt changes in speakers.

What else do I need to know? Whether or not em dashes have a space before and after comes down to the style guide you are following.

EN DASH (–)

What is it? The en dash is a line roughly as wide as the letter "n."

Where is it used? The en dash has a much narrower range of duties than its big brother. It's typically used to indicate, well, range.

Examples:

Business hours are 1–7 p.m.

I'll be away August 7–12.

Your assignment is to read pages 218–252.

Where else is it used? En dashes are used as connectors in compound modifiers when hyphens would cause confusion.

What else do I need to know? Once again, style guides come into play when determining the use of en dashes in place of hyphens and also regarding rules on what phrasing can be used ahead of en dashes.

HYPHEN (-)

What is it? A very familiar short dash used for many different purposes.

Where is it used? The vast majority of hyphen utilization is in compound modifiers and prefixes/suffixes. Ironically, despite the long list of rules and guidelines that govern their use, hyphens are designed to minimize confusion. One classic example is "small-business owner" versus "small business owner." Used correctly, the hyphen lets the reader know that the person is the owner of a small business. With no hyphen, the person is a business owner who is small.

Hyphens appear after certain prefixes and before certain suffixes. For example:

His ex-wife couldn't stand his love for em dashes.

The dessert had an egg-like consistency.

Where else is it used? The full range of hyphen uses and rules will be covered in a future entry.