HomeTechnologyNewsHow to Write an Em Dash on Windows or Mac

How to Write an Em Dash on Windows or Mac

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If you want to type an em dash, called an em dash, on a Windows PC or Mac, you have to take a few extra steps because it’s not on your keyboard. Here’s how to get an em dash.

What is an Em Dash?

An em dash (-) is a special type of hyphen longer than a hyphen (-) and en dash (-) that is often used to replace commas, colons, or parentheses depending on the context. They add a distinctive conversational style to writing, like this one, while preserving the flow of a sentence.

Em dashes are named for the width of an “em”, which is equal to the current point size. These somewhat arcane terms originated in physical printing, and in that realm, an “em” is basically the maximum height an individual letter can be within the font at its current size.

How to Write an Em Dash on Windows

Press Windows + Period, click the symbols button and select the em dash.

In Windows 10 and 11, there are several different ways to write an em dash. Here are two of the easiest:

  • Alt+0151: With a keyboard with a numpad, make sure Num Lock is turned on. Then hold down the Alt key and type the numbers 0151 quickly on the number pad. When you release the Alt key, an em dash will appear. To type an en dash, use Alt + 0150 instead.
  • Use the emoji menu: First, open the emoji menu by pressing Windows + Period (“.”) on your keyboard. When it appears, click the symbols button, which looks like an uppercase omega in Windows 10 and four small squiggly characters in Windows 11. In the symbols menu, scroll down and select the em dash from the list with your mouse cursor . The em dash will appear in your application.

RELATED: How to quickly type special characters on any computer, smartphone or tablet

How to Write an Em Dash on Mac

Writing an em dash on a Mac is easy. While typing in an app that accepts text input, press Shift + Option + Minus (“-“) on your keyboard. An em dash will appear instantly. You can also press Option + Minus for an en dash, which we mentioned above. It is half the width of an em dash and longer than a hyphen. Of course, for a normal hyphen or hyphen, just press the minus key.

Happy writing!

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