Length. The en dash is the length of the letter n while the emdash is (you
guessed it!) the length of the letter m.
When to use one or the other is a matter of style. Go to web and locate
Chicago Univ style as an example.
Strictly speaking, the en dash is the width of an N, an em the width of a M
(capital letters). In general terms this makes an en dash about twice as
long as a hyphen in a typical font, an em dash three times as long. The
distinction of en and em dash uses varies between U.S. and U.K. usage, as I
learned to my chagrin after a long exchange with a user who I thought was
trying to make an en dash do something it wasn't meant to do!
--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
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