By Vicky Sidler | Published 11 December 2025 at 12:00 GMT+2

Some people look at sentence structure the way others look at poker hands. One misplaced comma, and they know you're bluffing. Recently, a new "tell" entered the chat—literally. The em dash.

According to the New York Times Magazine, sharp-eyed readers have started spotting AI-generated writing simply by its love for a long, lonely horizontal line. Not just any line. The em dash. The kind you won’t find near your spacebar. The kind that ChatGPT loves with unshakable loyalty.

And suddenly, a punctuation mark became a red flag.

TL;DR:

• AI-generated text often uses em dashes more than humans do

• Real humans tend to use hyphens or spaced dashes instead

• Readers are starting to catch on and spot AI from punctuation alone

• The way your writing looks matters as much as what it says

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Table of Contents:

Why People Think Em Dashes Are “Too Perfect”:

Most of us type how we talk. We don’t sit around inserting formal punctuation like we’re editing a 19th-century novel. We slap in a hyphen or two when we’re trying to sound dramatic. We add spaces to help it breathe. We don’t care that it’s technically not correct. We care that it feels right.

AI tools, on the other hand, don’t do “feels right.” They do “typeset textbook” by default.

The em dash it uses is a proper one—no spaces, no mistakes. It’s the kind you’d see in a printed book or a legal document. Which is great, unless you’re trying to write a casual blog post, an email, or a customer service reply. Then it just feels...off.

So when people started noticing these pristine punctuation choices, they got suspicious.

And they were right.

What’s the Big Deal With a Little Dash?

It’s not just about the punctuation mark. It’s about what it signals.

Readers aren’t just reading your words. They’re picking up on your tone, your rhythm, and—apparently—your typographic choices. An unexpected em dash in a casual sentence can feel like someone showed up to a backyard braai wearing a tuxedo. Technically correct. Socially confusing.

This doesn’t mean the em dash is wrong. It means AI uses it so consistently, so cleanly, and so frequently that it no longer reads as human.

That matters if you’re a small business owner trying to sound personal. If your emails or blog posts accidentally feel robotic, even just a little, you lose trust before you’ve even made your point.

Humans Talk in Messy Sentences. Good Writing Should Too.

The real charm of human writing isn’t just the words—it’s the pauses, interruptions, and unfinished thoughts. Think of a voice note from a friend. It meanders, circles back, adds “wait no” halfway through a sentence, and somehow lands on something meaningful.

We don’t speak in colons or semicolons. We speak in “hang on, let me rephrase that.”

That’s why writers like J.D. Salinger used so many dashes. Not to be dramatic. But to capture the way people actually think.

AI doesn’t do that. Not yet. It imitates. And when it imitates too well—like using the em dash perfectly every time—it stops sounding like us.

Why This Matters for Marketing:

Let’s pull this out of the punctuation weeds for a second.

If you’re using AI to help write your marketing content (and you probably should be), this is your friendly nudge to check how it sounds. Not just what it says.

• Does the tone match your brand?

• Does it sound like something you would actually say?

• Does it use punctuation like a person or like a print editor from 1962?

These things might feel small. But when someone lands on your site or opens your newsletter, these are the clues they use to decide if you're real.

Authenticity isn’t just a buzzword. It’s punctuation deep.

What to Do Instead:

This doesn’t mean you should ban the em dash forever. It means you should check your content with a human eye before hitting publish.

Here’s what I recommend:

1. Read it out loud. If you wouldn’t say it that way in conversation, edit it.

2. Add some deliberate mess. Short sentences. Long ones. Some with fragments. Some with rhythm. That mix feels more human than perfection.

3. Use contractions and casual words. You’re not trying to win an award. You’re trying to connect with real people who are probably reading your words on a phone while waiting for coffee.

4. Keep your voice consistent. If your brand is warm and friendly, don’t let a bot make you sound like a textbook.

5. Treat AI like a helpful intern. Let it do the heavy lifting, then make sure it doesn’t dress your message in a suit and tie when you meant for jeans and a t-shirt.

A Personal Note From a Dash Devotee:

You’ll notice I use em dashes. And I’m not afraid of them.

I’ve always loved dashes. For a while, I was loyal to the en dash because I thought the em dash looked ugly. Especially without spaces. I used them constantly, but with a sort of typographic shame.

Then Grammarly stepped in.

It kept insisting I was wrong and politely nudged every en dash back to em. I resisted, obviously. I mean, I have a master’s degree in English. I’m not taking punctuation advice from an app that thinks “literally” can mean “figuratively.”

But eventually I googled it. Turns out Grammarly was right. I had been misusing dashes for years. And after a brief period of identity crisis and avoiding dashes altogether out of sheer aesthetic protest, I gave in.

I now use em dashes correctly. And strangely, I’ve started to like how they look. I think ChatGPT’s obsession conditioned me. Em dashes no longer feel like the ugly step-sibling of punctuation.

In fact, I have one in my email signature. Not for style. Just so I don’t have to Google “em dash” every time I want to insert one. Because here’s the real question: why is the correct dash not on our keyboards? We have a backtick key no one uses, but not an em dash?

Anyway, for a moment I did consider swearing off dashes again. The internet was turning on them. Em dashes were being flagged as “too AI” and I didn’t want to sound like a bot.

But then I thought, forget it. I like dashes. I’m not going to let the robots dictate my punctuation choices.

Neither should you.

The Bigger Picture:

This whole em dash conversation is really about one thing: trust. Readers don’t trust what sounds too polished. They trust what sounds true.

So yes, a dash can make a difference.

If you want help making your message clear, relatable, and unmistakably human, start by getting one sentence right. Download my 5-Minute Marketing Fix to help you write one sentence that tells people what you do and why it matters.

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2. AI Slop Is Breaking the Internet—Here’s What Small Brands Can Do

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Frequently Asked Questions About Em Dashes, AI, and Content Trust

1. What is an em dash and how is it different from a hyphen?

An em dash (—) is a long horizontal punctuation mark used to break up a sentence or add emphasis. It’s wider than a hyphen (-) or an en dash (–) and is often used in place of commas, colons, or parentheses.

2. Why do people say the em dash is a giveaway for AI writing?

AI tools like ChatGPT tend to use em dashes frequently and perfectly—without spaces—like a printed book. Most humans use hyphens or spaced-out versions, which makes the AI pattern stand out.

3. Do real writers use em dashes?

Absolutely. Famous authors from Dickens to Salinger used them. They’re a normal part of expressive writing, especially for capturing natural speech patterns.

4. Why does using proper punctuation make my writing feel less human?

Most of us don’t write emails or blog posts like print editors. If your punctuation is too clean, it can feel robotic—especially if you're using AI tools that format perfectly by default.

5. Is it wrong to use em dashes in small business content?

Not at all. The key is tone and context. If you use them naturally and they reflect your voice, keep them. Just don’t let AI over-polish your message into something that sounds cold or mechanical.

6. Why don’t keyboards include the em dash?

Good question. Despite being the correct dash in most cases, em dashes aren’t built into standard keyboards. You have to copy it, use a shortcut, or create a workaround—like adding it to your email signature as a personal cheat sheet.

7. What’s the difference between an en dash and an em dash?

An en dash (–) is shorter and usually used for ranges (like 2001–2025). An em dash (—) is longer and used to separate thoughts or phrases. They’re not interchangeable, even though most people use hyphens instead.

8. Can AI-written content be trusted if it uses em dashes?

The punctuation itself isn’t the problem. It’s a symptom. If the content feels overly polished, unnatural, or emotionally flat, it may signal AI involvement. Always review AI content for tone, clarity, and human connection.

9. Should I remove em dashes if I’m worried about sounding too AI-generated?

Only if they don’t match your normal voice. If you’ve always used dashes (like I do), there’s no need to ditch them. Let your voice be your guide—not the robots.

10. What’s the best way to sound human when using AI tools?

Treat AI like a rough draft assistant. Review everything it writes. Add your personality, adjust your rhythm, and speak like a real person. A little imperfection goes a long way. And yes, sometimes that includes a dash. Or three.