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I know "a 5-month-old baby" is the correct way to hyphenate things, but what if I have to add a en-dash range?

"A 3–5-month-old baby" would logically be the correct solution, but it looks clunky?

KillingTime
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francoiskroll
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    "A 3- to 5-month-old baby" avoids the problem. – Weather Vane Nov 24 '21 at 18:41
  • @WeatherVane ...a little confused. Did you intend the n dash after 3, but not after 'to'? IMHO maybe "3 to 5 month-old baby" would look better...anyway, this seems to be a style issue, and open to opinion. – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Nov 24 '21 at 19:34
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    @Cascabel I avoided the use of en dash. I placed a hyphen after 3- because that is usually the way an incomplete hyphenated phrase is done, as in say "three- or four-score". OTOH I might be confused when reading "3 to 5 month-old baby" thinking it meant to say "3 to 5 month-old babies". – Weather Vane Nov 24 '21 at 19:39
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    ... It's called the suspended hyphen. // I think OP's suggestion is accepted by some. But I'd use the suspended hyphen ... I feel it is slightly less clunky. It sounds better than it looks. – Edwin Ashworth Nov 24 '21 at 19:46
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    Color me feeling silly...personally, with my old eyes I have difficulties seeing the difference between hyphen and n-dash. M-dash is easy to see....but the others? I looked at this, but doesn't actually help me. – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Nov 24 '21 at 19:56
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    Why would you want to stretch the 'rules' for using hyphens to this degree? What would be wrong with "... a baby three to five months old"? True, it is 31 characters long, compared with 18 characters. But it takes no significantly extra time to read it or to say it. And why would anyone write a sentence like that? – Tuffy Nov 24 '21 at 20:01
  • I think the only way this Q can remain open is if the OP declares a preferred style guide...otherwise some users are going to VTC based off Primarily-Opinon-Based. The VTCs are already in. I have not CVed. I did not DV....and I would like to hear more about the differences between hyphen, n-dash, and m-dash...so I am upvoting. – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Nov 24 '21 at 20:10
  • When should I use an em-dash, an en-dash, and a hyphen? There are many other questions on similar topics. – Stuart F Nov 24 '21 at 22:10
  • All solutions look clunky. This is true of many English constructions when printed, since English when printed is itself clunky. – John Lawler Nov 25 '21 at 17:38
  • OP here. I'm happy to accept first comment by @WeatherVane as correct answer. Thread was useful to read though, thanks. – francoiskroll Dec 01 '21 at 16:17
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    I don't see "3-to-5-month-old baby" mentioned thus far. I don't think that there would be any ambiguity about the meaning, and it avoids suspended hyphenation (which always looks a bit awkward to me). – MarcInManhattan Dec 01 '21 at 23:06

1 Answers1

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The problem of mixing hyphens and dashes can be avoided with

A 3- to 5-month-old baby"

As Edwin Ashworth mentions, the use is called a suspended hyphen.

Weather Vane
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