viivastoina

Viivastoina is a Finnish term referring to punctuation marks used as dashes in written language. The word literally means "in dashes" and is derived from viiva, dash or line, with the -stoina suffix indicating a method or form. In practice, viivastoina encompasses the use of dash characters to connect or separate elements such as words, clauses, and numerical ranges. It is part of standard typography and is governed by language- and publisher-specific style guides.

The main dash characters involved are the hyphen (-), the en dash (–), and the em dash (—). The hyphen forms compound words and syllabic breaks, often without spaces in Finnish compound nouns. The en dash is used to indicate ranges or connections, for example 1990–1999 or pages 45–48, and sometimes to link related terms. The em dash serves to create a stronger break or to set off parenthetical material, and its usage varies by style guide.

Because viivastoina rules differ across languages and publishers, writers follow the relevant guide for spacing, punctuation, and dash selection. In Finnish typography, guidance is provided by authorities such as Kielitoimisto and other style manuals, and usage can differ between journals, books, and digital media. See also: dash, hyphen, en dash, em dash, Finnish typography.