punctuation - Is an ellipsis interchangeable with an em dash?


I know than an ellipsis can be used to show a broken sentence, the same way an em dash can be used. What I don't know is that if the two are interchangeable and it is writer preference or if different meaning is conveyed by their use.


Are ellipses and em dashes commutable?



Answer



To my mind, there is a clear difference in pronunciation between the two: the em-dash is a clipped break, or a very abrupt shift, while the ellipsis is a distinct pause with a bit of elongation of the prior syllable.


If you take a sample sentence of



Wait... there may be something.



vs.



Wait—there may be something.



then for the first one, the word "wait" has a downward intonation, and a slightly drawn-out "ayy" sound; and there is a clear pause, possibly a full inhalation, before starting to say "there". It tends to have more of a connotation of thoughtfulness.


For the second one, "wait" is more emphasized, with no downward intonation, and is somewhat clipped; there is still a short pause before starting to say "there" but there is definitely no inhalation. It tends to have more of a connotation of urgency.


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