Spaces, dashes, hyphens, periods, numbers, quotes, abbreviations, initials. Proofreading rules: Should I put a space between a number and a digit?

Awkward rules

It would seem that what is so difficult here? Put spaces between words and after punctuation(and in the case of a dash - and before the sign) - and that’s all for a short time!

However, in practice, reading the texts, I see that not everything is so simple, since there are errors.

And yet it’s simple! You just need to remember one single formula:

A space is always used when there is an abbreviation or special character.

read as a separate word

All! This is enough - from now on you will never make mistakes and you will put a space:

Yes, of course, there are cases when a space is still not placed, for example, when indicating minutes or before a footnote... But such cases exceptional and unique.
(Don't forget that when setting dash There is also no space between numbers- cm . Lesson 1. Dash and hyphen ) .

• Non-breaking space

Due to the rules that do not allow breaking into different lines:

• surnames and initials (N. Gal)
• reductions (etc.)
• numbers and related words (11 years)
• sign of number (or paragraph) and number (№ 15)

and so on.,

use becomes relevant non-breaking space, which will not allow them to “scatter” across different lines. In Word and OpenOffice, a non-breaking space is created using the hotkeys: CTRL + SHIFT + SPACEBAR. You can set up a more convenient combination: for example, I just use CTRL + SPACEBAR (open Word - service - settings - keyboard - special characters - new keyboard shortcut).

• Spaces and slashes

Another very important point: is it necessary or not to put spaces when using slashes?

No space required

1) when writing abbreviations (km/h; railway)

2) if a slash is used in numbers instead of a dash (2011/2012)

3) if the slash separates single words (income/expense; and/or)

Attention: BUT! If a slash is between phrases (or a word and a word), spaces must be inserted! Otherwise we read what is written:
The child has a mom/coming dad. It turned out to be nonsense: mother / visitor.

RIGHT:The child has a mom/coming dad.

• The final touch (very important!)

The text has been written, checked for all kinds of errors/slips... All edits have been made - can it be sent to the customer? It seems we have forgotten that there should be between words only one space .
So, CTRL + F — find(2 spaces) — replace(1 space) — replace everything.

Now that's really ALL!

P. S. Yes, but at the very beginning I had something completely different in mind:

I bring different rules (the space is sometimes of fundamental importance)

Literature:
Reference book for editor and proofreader, ed. A. E. Milchina
http://www.az-print.com/index.shtml?FAQ&HelpBook/index

Gramota.ru
http://www.gramota.ru/spravka/buro/search_answer/?s=%EF%F0%EE%E1%E5%EB

______________________________

EXERCISE

1.Open 5 of your texts. Check if there are any EXTRA spaces in them?You don't even have to turn it on non-displayable characters- just do itfind - replace.

2. Copy the following piece and correct any errors. Then check the rules described above.

Friends, read A. Pushkin!

Years of life: 1799 - 1837.

A.S. Pushkin died in 1837.

Issue 8 of the magazine will feature the best poetry/selected prose.

Read § § 3-10.

There are magazines and books on the table, because... this is a workplace.

Use 9% and always at a temperature of 9°C!

3. Count the number of corrections. There should be only 14 (every click counts). We take into account the knowledge gained on Lesson No. 1!

There is no unanimity with the percentage sign to this day, and this is even normatively fixed.
However Gramota.ru Still, it recommends that percentages be separated with a non-breaking space.

Good afternoon, is there a need to separate the / symbol with spaces in bilingual text Example: Obligations

Spaces are not needed if the slash separates words rather than phrases.

	Question No. 294322

Dear Gramota.ru, Please tell me how to correctly mark off a numerical range if the units of measurement for two numbers are different and both numbers are: 20 cm-2 m. According to the rules, an en dash or hyphen, which is not marked off in the range: 1- 2 m. What to do here? Thank you.

Russian help desk response

You should put a dash with spaces: 20 cm - 2 m.

	Question No. 289148

Good afternoon. When writing a date, and next to it the same date according to the old style in brackets, should the brackets be broken off or not? For example: March 12(23). Thank you

Russian help desk response

	Question No. 288127

Showing growth of more than 300% per year. Is a comma needed here?

Russian help desk response

No comma needed. Please note: it is recommended to separate the % sign from the number with a space.

	Question No. 286418

Hello. Dispel my doubts, please... When asked whether a space is needed before indicating percentages (for example, 100%), the answer was that the percent sign is separated by a space from the number. But at the same time, in other answers (of different semantic nature, but containing percentage designations), for some reason you yourself do not adhere to this rule. And this is confusing... Therefore, I would like to know with one hundred percent certainty whether the space between the number and the % sign is important. It is important. Thank you

Russian help desk response

It is recommended to remove the % sign from the number. We follow this rule ourselves, but we may have been technically careless in some of our answers. We will be grateful if you tell us the numbers of these answers, we will correct them.

	Question No. 284051

Good afternoon I have come across the opinion that the signs No., %, etc. in some types of texts they are not separated from the numbers when typing - in scientific works and in official documents. Is it so? If yes, please indicate cases where it is necessary to write together and where separately.

Russian help desk response

Reference books on technical text formatting recommend formatting number and percentage signs in half-point format. If this is technically impossible, then it is appropriate to put a space.

	Question No. 279082

Is it necessary to separate the ampersand icon in company names with spaces?

Russian help desk response

The name must be written as it is written in the statutory documents.

	Question No. 277889

Good afternoon. Is it acceptable to separate colons with spaces on both sides in a bibliographic entry? This is a new requirement of the Belarusian Higher Attestation Commission.

Russian help desk response

There is such a practice. The colon in the role of URD (conventional separating sign) is broken off on both sides by a space in the bibliographic entry (as in the “Handbook of Publisher and Author” by A.E. Milchin).

	Question No. 276894

Hello. Is it necessary to use a space to mark the dash after a comma in direct speech? “Listen to me,” said Nadya, “someday to the end.”

Russian help desk response

In this case, a space is needed.

	Question No. 276832

Technical dialing rules recommend beating 4- or 5-digit numbers? 1000 - do you need a break? Thank you.

Russian help desk response

A.E. Milchin writes that five-digit numbers are broken down, and according to some manuals, also four-digit numbers (1,000).

	Question No. 276822

Good afternoon. Is it necessary to separate slashes with spaces in the example in Russian: “The producer of the action in these sentences is unknown or unimportant.
For example: Across the river they sing / sang."

Russian help desk response

It is more correct to highlight in brackets: Across the river they sing (sang).

	Question No. 276627

Good afternoon. Should the “greater than” and “less than” signs be removed from the numbers? >0.5 s or > 0.5 s?

Russian help desk response

Yes, these signs are off from the numbers.

	Question No. 275733

Good afternoon. Is it necessary to use spaces on both sides of a slash in a line from the list:
people who performed the target action/people who came from a traffic source

Russian help desk response

If a slash replaces words and, or, then spaces on either side of it are usually not placed.

	Question No. 271121

Good afternoon! Is the percent and degree sign separated from the number? Thank you.

Russian help desk response

Reference books on the technical design of text recommend that the percentage sign be set to half-point. If this is technically impossible, then it is appropriate to put a space.

The degree sign is written with a space after the number, for example: +15 °C.

	Question No. 265643

Hello!
Please tell me, is there a space between the number and the percent sign, between the number sign and the number?
For example, 5% or 5%; No. 3 or No. 3.
Thank you!

Russian help desk response

To questions No. 291389 and No. 291406. In chess theory there is a known opening called the “Caro-Kann defense”. As follows from the answers received to these questions, the title of the opening should be with surnames in the nominative case, and a dash should be used. Clarify please, do I need to put a space? s before and after dashes (Caro-Kann protection) or spaces are required (Caro-Kann protection). There is no uniform spelling in chess literature, hence the confusion.

Spaces before and after the dash are required.

	Question No. 302681

Good afternoon Please help me correctly write the time period in the following sentence. Spatial patterns.... in the second half of the 20th - early 21st centuries. Two editors looked at the work and each of them made different edits. Do I need to put a space? s before and after the dash? Should the word “century” be shortened to v.? Is it necessary to write the word “century” twice: after XX and XXI? Thank you in advance

Russian help desk response

Spaces are needed. Reduction is possible. "Century" is written once.

	Question No. 292739

Hello! Do I need to put a space? between the initials of the first and last names. How true: “With respect, A.P.” (A.P. – Alexander Pushkin) or “With respect, A.P.”?

Russian help desk response

Spaces are needed. The first option is correct.

	Question No. 290568

Hello! Tell me please, do I need to put a space? s between an abbreviated word and a number in a reference to regulatory legal acts, for example: “Clause 4.1 of Article 48 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation”? Thank you.

Russian help desk response

Numbers are separated by spaces from abbreviated words. Right: clause 4.1 art. 48 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation.

	Question No. 290088

Hello, please explain do I need to put a space? between initials and surname when addressing a letter? A.I. Ivanov or A.I. Ivanov

Russian help desk response

	Question No. 278809

Do I need to put a space? after the dot in the initials – A.S. Pushkin or A.S. Pushkin?

Russian help desk response

Space needed: A. S. Pushkin.

Good afternoon
Please tell me, do I need to put a space? between the initials and the surname, when the initials are written before the surname? GOST R 6.30-2003 states that a space is not needed, that is, P.A. Ivanov is the correct spelling. But everywhere I see the spelling with a space, that is, P.A. Ivanov.

Russian help desk response

A space is needed for linguistic reasons (an initial is a graphic abbreviation of a word; spaces separate words), but in practice it is not placed for extralinguistic (extralinguistic) reasons.

	Question No. 266942

Please tell me whether it is correct to put a period after the abbreviation pcs (12 pcs) and do I need to put a space? between number and abbreviation? Thank you

Russian help desk response

A period is needed. A space is inserted.

	Question No. 265156

Please say, do I need to put a space? after the punctuation??

Russian help desk response

Yes, spaces are placed after punctuation marks (exceptions are opening brackets and opening quotes).

	Question No. 257895

Hello!
Tell me (this is not the first time I’ve asked), do I need to put a space? between the surname and initials and between the initials themselves? For example, "A.S. Pushkin" is the correct option?

Russian help desk response

In both cases, spaces are needed: A. S. Pushkin.

	Question No. 243365

Good afternoon

Do I need to put a space? between a number and a % sign?

Thank you.

Russian help desk response

A space is inserted.

	Question No. 243155

Hello! Do I need to put a space? between number and number? Example: No. 123

Russian help desk response

Yes, there is a space (in typographic practice - a short space, half-point).

	Question No. 239945

I just asked a question. (Good afternoon, tell me if the word “year” is abbreviated as “g.”, do I need to put a space?

Evgeniy Bragin
evbragin
Russian help desk response

A space is needed, correct: 2008)
Please tell me if there is any document that you are guided by? Thank you

Russian help desk response

An example of such design is given in the Standard Instructions for Office Work in Federal Executive Bodies (clause 2.6.9). But even without fixing this norm in any document, the use of a space has a purely linguistic justification: a space is a sign of a new word.

	Question No. 239938

Good afternoon, tell me if the word “year” is abbreviated as “g.”, do I need to put a space? between, for example, 2008 and "g"? It seems to me that this is necessary, because they are two different words. But in our department we had doubts, maybe it was 2008 after all? Please clarify.

Evgeniy Bragin

Russian help desk response

You need a space, that's right: 2008

If the arrangement service “forgot to load” :)

The "Space+" program will put the spaces in their places! From now on put spaces between words- no longer a problem. The program is easy to use:

Paste the text into the box and click on the button (with the arrow) below.

The "Space+" program allows remove spaces online without manual editing of the article. Now you don't have to think about how to remove spaces. Now it's correct spacing, removing double spaces and much more is a matter of technique!

Previously, in order to place spaces, you had to remember many rules:

• Space in the text comes after punctuation marks, A space before they don't need it.
• Space needed before the opening parenthesis, but space after she is not needed.
• A space is inserted after the closing parenthesis, but there is no space before it.
• Space rules for quotes are the same as for parentheses.

Now you don't have to worry about where and how to make a space. After all, the online service “Probel+” will do it for you! Let's return to the conversation about the rules for spacing.

And the finished text with spaces can buy on Etkt - a good copywriting exchange.

How to remove spaces between words?

The need to remove spaces appears when:

• there are double spaces in the text
• you need to replace the space with another character (for example, a dash)

The second option is more relevant to creating a website, when you need to include a human-readable address in the URL. You don't have to look far for an example. Just look at the address of this page. All words in the URL name are joined by a hyphen rather than a space. This address looks much more attractive in the eyes of search engines.

The occasion is when it is necessary remove spaces due to the fact that they are repeated side by side, it is most often found in copywriting. Double spaces occur unintentionally. These types of errors are born during the typing process of a copywriter. Text's spell checker can help detect double spaces. Well, if you work using “Space+”, then you won’t need this, because:

One of the program's functions is to automatically remove double spaces.

Removing spaces occurs automatically (by pressing a button). The program will help remove spaces in text, without once again understanding the rules for placing spaces. Double space Now your texts and articles are no longer scary!

The program is not limited to double spaces. Eliminate Gaps(double, triple, and so on) is only one of its sides. "Space+" will not only delete extra spaces, but will also fulfill in some sense " filling in the gaps- will add them where needed.

How to put a space?

• Placed space before an opening bracket or quotation mark.
• A space is inserted after the closing quote or parenthesis.
• Space between characters is placed like this: after a comma, after a period, after an exclamation or question mark.

The latter can be generalized and reduced to one short rule:

There is a space after a punctuation mark, but not before it!

Now you know, how to insert a space- after a comma or other sign. AND how to remove extra spaces You also know that you need to remove all spaces up to commas. However, remove extra spaces The Space+ service will help you. And the question is how to put a space next to punctuation marks you will also stop worrying.

The program was created in order to remove spaces from string where necessary. That is space after period she won't touch, and space after comma Same. Because the answer to the question is " Is there a space after? the program knows punctuation marks, and the answer is affirmative. There is a space after period, comma, colon, semicolon, exclamation point and question mark. Put a space after The program can also automatically enter closing brackets and closing quotes. There is no need for a space in front of them, but you need a space after.

The "Space Plus" program will automatically place spaces online

The online service "Space Plus" knows how to remove spaces in text. But him function "Remove spaces" is not devoid of analytics: before removing a space, the program checks is there a space after it? current sign. Space separator in the end it will be placed only where it should be. Removing extra spaces won't take up much time or system resources if you use Space Plus.

For comparison, in Word remove extra spaces It’s more difficult - you need to look at the underlined errors and correct them one by one. "Space Plus" will save you from unnecessary hassle and carry out removing spaces in a string quickly and correctly!

Good evening. I would like to clarify: when using digital notations, the meanings “from... to” and “or” are marked with a dash without spaces?

Between numbers there is a dash without spaces, for example: 10–13, 3–4.

If by “various sources” you meant this:

Some typesetting manuals also state that there is no space if a dash comes after a period or comma, but with most modern fonts this advice is rather harmful.

then this source indicates the direct “harmfulness” of the instructions of “some manuals”.

It should also be remembered that in the language there are no concepts of an em dash or an en dash (this is a matter of text design), simply: a dash.

Dear Gramota employees, please answer the question I asked today about the supposedly existing sign “em dash without spaces between words.” It’s not me who needs this, I understand that such a sign does not exist. But you are the only authority I can refer to! However, even with a response from you, some authors declare that the Institute of the Russian Language is not an authority for them... But still, I still hope for you.

Please formulate somewhere a clear ban on dashes without spaces between words in Russian text so that people can link to you! Just 10 years ago, no one would have had the idea to depict anywhere such a miracle as two words connected by a dash without spaces. Therefore, a ban cannot be found anywhere. But there is a need for it!

Russian help desk response

The register of codified punctuation marks includes only two types of horizontal lines: dash and hyphen. You can verify this by referring to the “Rules of Russian Spelling and Punctuation” of 1956 - a kind of spelling constitution. Just look at the table of contents. None of the authoritative experts on punctuation (A. B. Shapiro, D. E. Rosenthal, N. S. Valgina) added any other punctuation marks to this list.

The dash must be separated by spaces from the preceding and following text. Wed. with examples from the 1956 rules and the 2006 academic reference book: the Boyle-Mariotte physical law, meeting with foreign guests of the Olympics.

The only case when the dash does not break off spaces, – position between numbers.

(I highlighted the dash in the last line of Gramoty.ru, separated by a comma.)

Dashes are separated by spaces according to the following rules:

after the dashes at the beginning of the paragraph (in direct speech or in lists), a non-breaking space of normal size is placed;

a dash indicating a range of values, the boundaries of which are specified by numbers (1941-1945, XVI-XVII), is not separated by spaces;

• around all other dashes it is prescribed to put narrow (2 points) spaces, and the space before the dash must be continuous. However, due to the technical limitations of computer typing, regular spaces are often used instead of shortened spaces; this practice is also officially permitted “in publications of operational printing”;

  • According to academic rules, a dash following a comma or period is typed without a space, however, in modern fonts such a set looks ugly and this requirement has practically been abandoned.