User:Zoeannl/Project guideline/Proofreader’s Guide/Dashes, Hyphens, and Minus Signs

There are generally four such marks you will see in books:

Hyphens. These are used to join words together, or sometimes to join prefixes or suffixes to a word. Leave these as a single hyphen, with no spaces on either side. Note that there is a common exception to this shown in the second example below.

En-dashes. These are just a little longer, and are used for a range of numbers, or for a mathematical minus sign. Proofread these as a single hyphen, too. Spaces before or after are determined by the way it was done in the book; usually no spaces in number ranges, usually spaces around mathematical minus signs, sometimes both sides, sometimes just before.

Em-dashes & long dashes. These serve as separators between words—sometimes for emphasis like this—or when a speaker gets a word caught in his throat——! Proofread these as an em-dash (from the pull-down menu) if the dash is as long as 2-3 letters (an em-dash) or use bar for a custom length. looks like this. Don't leave a space before or after, even if it looks like there was a space in the original book image.

If used within a template, an em-dash needs to be placed in curly brackets or it interferes with the template.

E.g.

Deliberately Omitted or Censored Words or Names. If represented by a dash in the image, proofread these as an equivalent length bar. When it represents a word, we leave appropriate space around it like it's really a word. If it's only part of a word, then no spaces—join it with the rest of the word.

See also the guidelines for end-of-line and end-of-page hyphens and dashes.

Examples—Dashes, Hyphens, and Minus Signs:

 * Page:The Gradual Acceptance of the Copernican Theory of the Universe.djvu/138