En Dash Spacing
Spacing around an en dash depends on the governing style and the job the dash is doing. Microsoft normally uses unspaced en dashes for numeric/date ranges but allows spaces in specified UI date/time ranges; the Australian Government Style Manual likewise varies spacing according to the elements in a span.
Do not assume one spacing rule covers every en dash. Many numeric ranges are unspaced, while some date/time spans are spaced under specific house-style rules.
Key details
Important caveats
Context Boundary
Australian Government guidance varies en-dash spacing for date and time spans depending on what appears on each side, so follow the target house style and span structure.
Default Boundary
Microsoft normally uses no spaces around en dashes, including ordinary number/date ranges, with defined exceptions.
Further guidance
Practical Application
Apply en-dash spacing by context and house style rather than by one universal rule. Numeric ranges are commonly unspaced, while some editorial systems use spaced en dashes for particular date/time spans or parenthetical functions.
Reader Check
Is the dash expressing a compact numeric range, a date/time span governed by a specific style, or another relationship with its own spacing rule?
Worked Example
Use an unspaced form such as “pages 18–24” when the governing style treats numeric ranges that way. If your house style specifies spaces for a particular date span, follow that rule there instead of copying the numeric-range pattern blindly.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Dashes and hyphens — Microsoft Style Guide (opens in a new tab)Microsoft · En-dash and em-dash functions, including number ranges and sentence breaks
- Dates and time — Australian Government Style Manual (opens in a new tab)Australian Government Style Manual · Australian Government guidance for day–month–year dates, ordinal dates, decades, centuries, time zones, and en-dash spacing in date/time spans