Em Dash Shortcut

  1. Em Dash Shortcut Pc
  2. Em Dash Shortcut Windows

Em dash shortcut for Mac. The alt code method works fine on the Windows PC. However, if you want this symbol on Mac, there’s a shortcut for you. The em dash shortcut for Mac is Comand+M. To type this symbol, just press and hold the Option key whilst you type the letter M on your Mac keyboard. Use built-in keyboard shortcuts. On a regular-size keyboard with a number keypad, I can use. Mac operating systems all have the same shortcut for the em dash, which makes the process quick and simple. Press Option + Shift + Minus (that's -, the key right next to 0 at the top of your. On a Mac, the keyboard shortcut Option + Dash (-) makes an en dash, and Option + Shift + Dash (-) makes an em dash. On Windows it's.less simple: you need to use an alt code to get an em dash. If you have a numeric keyboard, hold down the Alt key and type 0151 for an em dash or 0150 for an en dash.

Using the AutoFormat feature in Microsoft Word, you can create both an Em dash () and En dash () automatically by typing hyphens. Alternatively, you can insert these special characters using the Insert Symbol menu. You can also copy and paste the dashes from another document, such as a web page, into your Word document.

Tip

If AutoFormat is not enabled in your copy of Microsoft Word, see: How to enable and disable Microsoft Word AutoFormat feature.

Insert an Em dash using AutoFormat

If you do the following, AutoFormat will insert an Em dash () as you type.

Windows

In a Word document:

  1. Type a word, with no space after it.
  2. Type two hyphens, with no space between or after them.
  3. Type another word.
  4. Type a space.

For example, typing:

Something--Something(space)

Will automatically format the line as:

Something—Something

When you press the spacebar after typing the example text above.

Em Dash Shortcut

Insert an En dash using AutoFormat

If you do the following, AutoFormat will insert an En dash () as you type.

In a Word document:

  1. Type a word, with a space after it.
  2. Type a single hyphen, with a space after it.
  3. Type another word.
  4. Type a space.

For example, typing:

1993(space)-(space)1995(space)

Automatically format the line to:

1993 – 1995

When you press the spacebar after typing the example text above.

Insert an Em or En dash using shortcut keys

Dash

To create an Em dash, use the shortcut key combination Ctrl+Alt+minus.

To create an En dash, use the shortcut key combination Ctrl+minus.

Em dash shortcut wordNote

Num Lock must be enabled and you need to use the minus key on the numeric keypad.

Insert an Em or En dash using the Symbol menu

You can also insert a special dash using the Insert Symbol menu:

  1. In a Microsoft Word document, choose Insert in the Menu bar.
  2. Choose Symbol.
  3. Choose More Symbols.
  4. Click the characters you'd like to insert. The Em dash should be on the second row. To insert multiple characters, click them one at a time.
  5. When you're finished, click Close to close the special characters window.
Note

If the En dash is not offered in your Symbol menu, you can still use another method to insert it.

Em Dash Shortcut Pc

Insert an Em or En dash using copy and paste

If all else fails, copy and paste the dash from another document, such as this page.

Em Dash Shortcut Windows

  1. Highlight the dash you want to insert:

Em dash:
En dash:

  1. Copy it. (Press Ctrl-C, or -C on a Mac)
  2. In your Word document, place the text cursor where you'd like the dash to go, and paste it. (Press Ctrl-V, or -V on a Mac)

Remove an Em or En dash

If your Word document has an Em dash or En dash and you want to remove it, do one of the following.

  • Highlight the Em dash or En dash using your mouse, then press the Delete key.
  • Place the text cursor after the Em dash or En dash, then press the Backspace key.

If you want to replace the Em dash or En dash with a normal hyphen, type the hyphen after removing the Em or En dash.

Additional information

  • See our Em dash and En dash definitions for further information and related links.

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