Slashes and Dashes

There are two types of slashes: the forward slash (/) and the backslash or backward slash (\). Of the two, the forward slash is the more commonly used one. It is usually used to signify that two things are alternatives, such as "and/or." It can also be used in poetry to indicate line breaks, or in mathematics to indicate fractions.

The backslash is not commonly used in writing. Its most common use is in computing, as it can serve a few different purposes in coding. We at thewordiswhom.com are still not entirely sure why it gets to be on the keyboard when such marks as the em dash do not, but it's not up to us.

Aside from the two slashes, there are three major dashes used in punctuation: the hyphen (-), the en dash (–), and the em dash (—). You'll note that the hyphen is slightly shorter than the en dash, which is in turn shorter than the em dash.

The hyphen is the only one of the three that consistently appears on keyboards. Because of this, it appears in text more frequently than the other two. Hyphens are used to join words in order to create compound words that function as a single unit (for instance, "so-called" or "fifty-one") or at the end of lines to indicate that a word has been split between two lines.

The en dash is used to show a range, for example, 2020–2025 or 5–0, Eagles. This dash is the least commonly used of the three, and many will replace it with a hyphen to save time. We at thewordiswhom.com, however, believe that when writing formally, you should take the time to turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, and type 0150 on the numerical keypad on the right side of the keyboard. Using the correct punctuation shows dedication and commitment to your writing.

Em dashes, although not used as often as they should be due to the lack of a key on the keyboard, still manage to appear quite frequently in writing. This is largely due to their versatility. Em dashes can function as commas, parentheses, colons, or semicolons in a sentence. They change the aesthetic of a sentence — they stand out more than a colon or semicolon but are less distracting than parentheses. Aside from replacing other punctuation marks, em dashes can also set nonessential information apart from the rest of the sentence. ("There was this kid — I think his name was Stanley — who got a 100% on the test.") To type an em dash on a Windows computer, hold down Alt, turn on Num Lock, and type 0151 on the numerical keypad.

Knowing the difference between the two types of slashes and the three types of dashes is essential for good writing — you don't want to confuse and/or frustrate readers!