How to Type the Em Dash (—): Windows, Mac, Word, Google Docs & Mobile Shortcuts

Em Dash Keyboard Shortcut Matrix (All Platforms)

The em dash (—) is one of the most versatile punctuation marks in modern English typography. Named after the width of the capital letter "M" in traditional metal typesetting, it is utilized by professional authors, journalists, copywriters, and academic scholars to create dramatic pauses, indicate parenthetical statements, or emphasize abrupt shifts in thought. Below is your master shortcut reference table across all operating systems and software:

How to Type the Em Dash on Windows (5 Methods)

Windows personal computers offer multiple hardware and software methods to generate the em dash (—). Depending on your physical hardware configuration—whether you have a full desktop mechanical keyboard with a numeric keypad, a compact ultrabook, or an international layout—select the most efficient method below:

Method 1: Windows Alt Code (Numeric Keypad — Alt 0151)

The universal ANSI hardware Alt code for the em dash is Alt + 0151. This code is supported natively across all Windows desktop applications, including Notepad, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Adobe InDesign, and specialized publishing software:

Method 2: Windows Emoji & Symbol Panel (Win + .)

For modern laptops (such as Dell XPS, Surface Laptop, HP Spectre, Lenovo Yoga) without a physical numeric keypad:

Method 3: Windows Character Map (charmap.exe)

If working on an offline desktop or enterprise workstation:

• Press Win + R, type charmap, and hit Enter.
• Check the Advanced view box at the bottom.
• In the Search for: field, type em dash and click Search.
• Double-click the — character, click Copy, and paste it (Ctrl + V) into your document.

How to Type the Em Dash on Mac (macOS)

Apple macOS features the most seamless and memorable universal keyboard shortcut combinations for all typographical dashes:

Method 2: Automatic Double Hyphen Replacement on Mac

macOS includes built-in smart quotes and dashes across system apps (Pages, Mail, Safari, Notes, TextEdit):

• Simply type two consecutive hyphens (--) between two words with no space (e.g. start--end), and macOS will automatically convert them into a true em dash: start—end.
• To verify or customize this behavior, open System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements.

Method 3: macOS Character Viewer (Ctrl + Cmd + Space)

• Press Ctrl + Cmd + Space to open the Character Viewer.
• Type em dash in the search bar.
• Double-click the — symbol to insert it.

How to Type Em Dash in Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint

Microsoft 365 and Office applications offer several automated and shortcut-driven pathways to insert an em dash:

Microsoft Word Shortcuts (4 Methods)

• Dedicated Office Shortcut: Press Ctrl + Alt + Num - (the minus sign on the numeric keypad). Word will immediately insert an em dash (—). For an en dash, press Ctrl + Num -.
• AutoFormat as You Type (Typing Trick): Type a word, type two hyphens (--) with no space, type the next word, and press the Spacebar. Word will automatically convert the double hyphens into a continuous em dash (e.g. thought--shift → thought—shift).
• Unicode Hex Code: Type 2014 directly in your document body and immediately press Alt + X. Word will convert the hexadecimal string into —.
• Ribbon Menu: Navigate to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols → Special Characters, highlight Em Dash, and click Insert.

Microsoft Excel & PowerPoint

In Excel formula cells and PowerPoint presentations:

• Use the standard Windows Alt code: Hold Alt and type 0151 on the numeric keypad.
• In Excel formulas, use the character formula: =CHAR(151) or =UNICHAR(8212) to dynamically generate an em dash in a calculated text string (e.g. ="Sales " & UNICHAR(8212) & " Q4").

How to Insert Em Dash in Google Docs & Google Sheets

Google Docs

• Automatic Double Hyphen Conversion: Type two consecutive hyphens (--) with no spaces between two words, then type the next word and hit the Spacebar. Google Docs automatically converts -- into an em dash (—).
• Special Characters Palette: Click Insert → Special characters. In the search box, type em dash, or draw a long horizontal line in the drawing canvas to select —.
• Custom Automatic Substitutions: Open Tools → Preferences → Substitutions. In the Replace box, type --- or --, and in the With box, paste an em dash (—). Click OK.

Google Sheets

• Enter the formula =UNICHAR(8212) to dynamically output an em dash in any spreadsheet cell.

How to Type Em Dash on iPhone, iPad & Android

iOS (Apple iPhone and iPad)

Android (Google Gboard & Samsung Keyboard)

• Tap the ?123 key to access numbers and punctuation.
• Press and hold down the hyphen (-) key on the keyboard.
• Slide your thumb over to select the longest dash (—) from the popup menu.

The Ultimate Dash Comparison: Em Dash vs. En Dash vs. Hyphen vs. Minus

Using the wrong horizontal punctuation mark is one of the most common errors in professional publishing, academic papers, and digital copywriting. While they all appear as horizontal lines, their widths, ASCII/Unicode encodings, keyboard shortcuts, and grammatical purposes are fundamentally distinct:

Key Editorial Rules for Each Mark

• When to Use the Em Dash: Substitute an em dash in place of commas, parentheses, or colons to amplify dramatic emphasis. Unlike parentheses (which make extra information feel secondary), an em dash draws maximum reader attention to the enclosed thought.
• When to Use the En Dash: Never use a hyphen for numerical ranges. Writing "pages 10-20" with a hyphen is typographically incorrect; always use an en dash: "pages 10–20" (meaning "10 through 20").
• When to Use the Hyphen: Reserve the standard hyphen exclusively for joining compound adjectives that precede a noun (e.g. "a chocolate-covered strawberry" vs. "the strawberry was chocolate covered").

The Spacing Debate: Spaces or No Spaces Around the Em Dash?

One of the most debated questions in English typography is whether an em dash should have spaces around it. The answer depends strictly on which editorial style manual your publication follows:

The "Closed" Em Dash (No Spaces — Book & Academic Publishing)

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), MLA Handbook, and APA Publication Manual mandate that an em dash must be closed—meaning there is no space on either side of the mark:

• Example: "The weather was freezing—unusually so for October—and the team shivered."
• Why CMOS recommends it: A closed em dash maintains a tight visual grouping between the parenthetical thought and surrounding text.

The "Open" Em Dash (Spaces on Both Sides — Journalism & Media)

The Associated Press Stylebook (AP Style), followed by newspapers, digital media outlets, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, requires a space on both sides of the em dash:

• Example: "The weather was freezing — unusually so for October — and the team shivered."
• Why AP Style recommends it: Spaces prevent narrow newspaper columns from wrapping awkward multi-syllable words onto the next line without a hyphen.

The British / Oxford Alternative (Spaced En Dash)

In the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth typography (such as The Economist and Oxford Style Manual), writers frequently replace the em dash entirely with a spaced en dash ( – ):

• Example: "The weather was freezing – unusually so for October – and the team shivered."

Developer & Technical Reference (Unicode, HTML, CSS & LaTeX)

For software developers, front-end engineers, and technical document writers, below is the complete technical character specification for the em dash:

Frequently Asked Questions About the Em Dash