How to Type an Em Dash (—)

This article will teach you how to easily type an em dash (—) so you can add stylish punctuation to your writing! Learn how to type the em dash with just a few simple steps!

An em dash (—) is a punctuation mark that can be used to indicate a break in thought, a change in tone, or an introductory phrase. It is often used in place of other punctuation marks, such as parentheses, commas, and colons. It is also used to set off a list of items. The em dash is a versatile and useful tool for writers, but it can be tricky to type. In this article, we’ll go over the different ways you can type an em dash on a keyboard.

Method 1: Using the Keyboard Shortcut

The most common way to type an em dash is by using a keyboard shortcut. On a Windows PC, the shortcut is Alt + 0151. To use this shortcut, hold the Alt key and press the number keys on the right side of the keyboard. On a Mac, the shortcut is Shift + Option + Hyphen.

Method 2: Using the Character Map

If the keyboard shortcut doesn’t work, you can also use the Character Map. This is a tool included with Windows that lets you view and insert special characters. To use the Character Map, press the Windows key + R to open the Run window, then type “charmap” and press Enter.

In the Character Map window, select the em dash from the list of characters. You can also search for it by typing “em” in the search box. Once you’ve selected the em dash, click the “Select” button, then click the “Copy” button. This will copy the em dash to your clipboard, which you can then paste into your document.

Method 3: Typing the Character Manually

If you’re using a program that doesn’t support keyboard shortcuts or the Character Map, you can type the em dash manually. The em dash is created by typing two hyphens (--) in a row. This will create an em dash in most programs.

Method 4: Using Autocorrect

If you’re using a program that supports autocorrect, you can set up a shortcut to automatically insert an em dash when you type it. For example, in Microsoft Word, you can set up a shortcut so that when you type “--”, it will automatically insert an em dash (—). To do this, go to the “File” menu, select “Options”, then go to the “Proofing” tab and click “AutoCorrect Options”.

Conclusion

Typing an em dash can be tricky, but with the methods outlined in this article, you should be able to type it with ease. Whether you use the keyboard shortcut, the Character Map, or set up an autocorrect shortcut, you can easily insert an em dash into your documents.