Underscore vs. Hyphen

Underscore vs. Hyphen — Is There a Difference?
ADVERTISEMENT

Difference Between Underscore and Hyphen

Underscorenoun

An underline; a line drawn or printed beneath text; the character _.

Hyphennoun

The symbol "‐", typically used to join two or more words to form a compound term, or to indicate that a word has been split at the end of a line.

Underscorenoun

(music) A piece of background music.

Hyphennoun

(figuratively) Something that links two more consequential things.

Underscoreverb

To underline; to mark a line beneath text.

Hyphennoun

An enclosed walkway or passage that connects two buildings.

ADVERTISEMENT

Underscoreverb

To emphasize or draw attention to.

I wish to underscore the importance of proper formatting.

Hyphennoun

Someone who belongs to a marginalized subgroup, and can therefore described by a hyphenated term, such as "German-American", "female-academic", etc.

Underscorenoun

a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)

Hyphenverb

To separate or punctuate with a hyphen; to hyphenate.

Underscoreverb

give extra weight to (a communication);

Her gesture emphasized her words

Hyphenconjunction

Used to emphasize the coordinating function usually indicated by the punctuation "-".

ADVERTISEMENT

Underscoreverb

draw a line or lines underneath to call attention to

Hyphennoun

a punctuation mark (-) used between parts of a compound word or between the syllables of a word when the word is divided at the end of a line of text

Hyphenverb

divide or connect with a hyphen;

hyphenate these words and names