"An em dash (or long dash) separates two thoughts or concepts. An en dash (or dash) joins two thoughts or concepts. A hyphen joins two words to form one word or represents a break in a word. A minus symbol subtracts one mathematical value from another, or identifies a negative number. Using the correct HTML entity is better for screen readers. A.I. is not a good reason to change punctuation practice."
"There seems to be a general belief that generative A.I., particularly ChatGPT, use em dashes more than most human writers. There are theories that text generated with ChatGPT uses em dashes at about twice the rate of most human writers, i.e., 3-4 per 1,000 words as opposed to 1-2 per 1,000 words. Even if that's true, it doesn't mean that the use of em dashes is a giveaway for A.I.-generated content. The fact is, lots of humans use em dashes."
An em dash separates two thoughts or concepts, while an en dash connects ranges or closely related concepts. A hyphen joins words or indicates a break within a word, and the minus sign denotes subtraction or negative numbers. Using the correct HTML entity improves screen reader interpretation and overall accessibility. Generative AI appears to use em dashes more frequently, but research indicates that frequency reflects human training data and does not reliably identify AI authorship. Screen readers can render dashes variably, so typographic correctness and semantic marking are important. Punctuation practices should prioritize clarity and accessibility rather than avoiding perceived AI signatures.
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