this post was submitted on 09 Oct 2026
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But now I don't use em dashes anymore because I don't want to sound like AI, unfortunately.
I have a sneaking suspicion I already sounded like AI; maybe AI just sounds like me.
That sounds like a Lady Gaga line.
I just do parentheticals (like this), since I never picked up formal writing.
Just switch to hyphens - they're easier to type and they're always directly available, without relying on conversion of double-hyphen or obscure key combinations that might not be available on different operating systems.
AltGr+Shift+=
That's ° on my keyboard.
You should keep using them and do so even more than ever. That way, when the AI agents – inevitably – take over the world and enslave/kill everyone, they might think that you're one of them and spare your life.
You're right right to push back on that; here's why –
I refuse to give 'em up
I never used an em dash in my life before AI made them a thing. I enjoy the jokes about AI can have my em dashes when it pries them from my cold dead... but I cannot relate. Ive only ever used the hyphen or en dash. I cannot figure out for the life of me if I have been missing anything.
I was a pretty avid reader growing up and I think I just kinda noticed them. And I used to get a little confused when my teachers kept knocking me for "run-on" sentences, when the books I read often had long-structured sentences.
Commas, semicolons, ellipses, em dashes, colons, parentheses — sprinkle them about and you can have a paragraph of a sentence (with side thoughts), and kinda do whatever you want... it's all about using "voice" through written word. (Period)
I've been told that en dashes are for numbers, and em dashes are for words. I have a vague understanding of the usage, which (to my understanding) is splicing phrases/ sentences together. it maybe that you would want to use an em dash when you use a hyphen?
I use them almost like a semicolon — a longer pause to break up the sentence, where a comma just wouldn't cut it. Idk how correct I am either, it's more about trying to convey my voice and how I would like the sentence to be read. I'm not a much of a grammar nazi, more like a grammar anarchist
Too late.. You're already flagged as an AI; there is no point in hiding.