trattini

Trattini is the plural form of trattino, the typographic marks used in writing to connect words, to indicate ranges, or to set off material within a sentence. In Italian typography, the main forms are the hyphen (trattino corto), the en dash (trattino medio), and the em dash (trattino lungo). Collectively, they serve a range of functions from joining words to signaling pauses or interruptions.

The trattino corto, or hyphen, is commonly employed to form compound words or to attach word parts for clarity or typographical balance. It is also used to indicate word division at line breaks, though the practice of hyphenation varies by style guide and language. In Italian, hyphens are used more selectively than in some other languages, and many compound formations remain written without a hyphen unless required for meaning or readability.

The trattino medio, or en dash, is typically used to indicate ranges or connections such as dates, numbers, or geographic spans, for example 1990–1995 or Roma–Milano. In many typographic traditions the en dash is set without spaces on either side, though some styles insert small spaces to improve readability.

The trattino lungo, or em dash, serves to signal a break, an interruption, or an aside in a sentence. It can introduce a parenthetical remark or emphasize a conclusion. Usage varies by style guide; some conventions employ spaces around the em dash, while others attach it directly to adjacent text.

In digital text, these marks have distinct Unicode representations: hyphen U+002D, en dash U+2013, em dash U+2014. Typographic rules for spacing and punctuation around trattini differ by language, publication, and editor, and software often offers automatic substitution or keyboard shortcuts to insert them.