Although many people call the hyphen a “dash,” dash refers to another group of horizontal lines in text. The two most common dashes are the em dash and the en dash. Em dash. Em dashes — so called because they are (at least historically) the width of the character m — are used for emphasis or interruption. Many people seek help from naturopathic medical professionals — those who emphasize using diet, exercise, meditation, and other tools for improving health.