Colon
A colon (:) is used between two main clauses, to introduce a list and before a quotation, sometimes before direct speech.
For example,
That is the secret of my success: always be well prepared.
Vacancies are for the following areas: Mechanical, Civil and Chemical engineering.
The headline reads: “Petrol price hike to stay.”
Hyphen
A hyphen (-) is used to connect words or parts of words. It is used to connect compound words and to join prefixes to other words. It is also used to show word breaks.
For example,
Father-in-law, light-hearted, home-made, sugar-free, foul-mouthed
There was no one in the house at the time of the break-in.
