Years normalized with `en` dashes
These work almost everywhere you type. On Windows,
If you have a NumPad, you can use the ALT code:
- Press the Alt key followed by 0151 for an "—" em dash
- or 0150 for an "–" en dash

Use the en dash, not a hyphen, in these situations:
- to connect ranges (to mean “to” or “through”)
- numbers: chapters 3–5
- dates: June–August; October 3–6; Jane Doe (1931–2005)
- page numbers: 33–36
- game scores: 21–7
- court decisions and legislative votes: a 5–4 decision; a 54–46 vote
- when a number range is unfinished for an ongoing publication: The Letters of John Doe (2015–)
- to indicate a living person: John Doe (1950–)
- to indicate a connection or a contrast between two things and as a substitute for the word “versus”: the liberal–conservative debate
- in a geographical reference as a substitute for the word “to” or to indicate connection: a Paris–Madrid train
- when connecting a multi-word proper noun to anything else: a World War II–era film; a Los Angeles–based consulting firm; the San Francisco–San Diego route
- when connecting a compound adjective in which one or both of the elements are hyphenated, multi-word, or open compound: ex–foreign minister; mother-of-the-bride–created
- with campus locations, if that’s the university’s preference: the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
- to separate the names of two or more people used as a compound modifier: Epstein–Barr virus (named for two people). (Note: This is a “new” rule added to the 18th edition of CMOS.)
Some guidelines for using the en dash
- In American usage with CMOS as your style guide, don’t use a spaced en dash in place of an em dash as a form of punctuation.
- If the dash makes the sentence look or sound awkward, rewrite the sentence.
- Don’t use an en dash to indicate a negative number. Use a minus symbol.
- Likewise, use a minus symbol, not an en dash, in a mathematical context. A minus symbol has a different width and vertical position.
- Don’t use an en dash when the number or word is preceded by “from” or “between.”
- correct: The temperature is 32–40°F; incorrect: the temperature is between 32–40°F
- correct: The restaurant is open 11–8; incorrect: the restaurant is open from 11–8
How to insert an en dash
Search, and replace
- Search for: space+"-" space
( - )
or use the NumPad hold ALT+"0150" - Replace: NumPad hold ALT+"0151"
- Find an en dash (–) and paste it where a new one is wanted.