Oftentimes, while writing on your computer, when you want to elaborate and emphasize some of your sentences, you will not find the em dash or long hyphen symbol on your keyboard. That must be a real bother! But we are here to the rescue. Neither do you need to buy an extra keyboard for that, nor download another keyboard app. In this blog, we will disclose some of the simplest hacks and tips to type em dash without any such hassle. So keep reading till the end!
Em Dash and En Dash: Difference and Usage
Before we dive into the different ways to write an Em Dash on the keyboard, let us take a look at the contrast between em dash and en dash.
- Em Dash: It is the longest dash punctuation and it is used to mark a break in a sentence. There might be several purposes for using an em dash, and they are often used in pairs in sentences to elaborate a point, add details, or add an emphatic or dramatic clause.
Example: His grandparents have three sons— Robert, Lucas, and Jacob.
Here is an example of using a pair of em-dash punctuations: I was sad— heartbroken really— but knew I had to carry on. - En Dash: This is like a younger sibling of the em-dash because it is a little shorter. En dash is mostly used in sentences to mark a span of time. For example: The office remains open from Monday–Friday.
Now that we understand the difference, let’s get into the tips to write em dash on the keyboard.
How to Type Em Dash Punctuation
The ways to type em-dash on Mac and Windows. We will help you with both the procedures in detail:
1. Mac Computers
Mac users have a very simple keyboard shortcut to type the em-dash symbol on their computer. All you have to do is type these: Option + Shift + Hyphen (-), and you will get an em dash.
Do you want to type an en dash on your Mac computer? Easy. Type Option + Hyphen (-). And Done!
2. Windows Computers
If you want to type an em-dash symbol on your Windows computer, then the procedure is not that simple. But we are here to help you out!
Do you have a regular numeric keyboard? Then you can type these combinations:
For Em Dash: Alt+0151
For En Dash: Alt+0150
However, it is not always possible to remember these numeric codes, especially while completing urgent tasks. Looking for an easier way to type an em-dash? Follow these simple steps:
- Step 1: Click on the Windows+fullstop (.) buttons on your keyboard, and it will open the emoji keyboard on your computer.
- Step 2: Under the Symbol (Ω) tab, you can choose the em or en dash punctuation as you want.
Isn’t it so simple?
Easiest Hack to Type Em Dash Punctuation
Now, I have the simplest hack for you, and it can be used by both Mac and Windows users. Just follow these simple steps:
- Step 1: Open any browser on your computer and search for “em dash”.
- Step 2: You can get several results. For example, my Chrome browser gave me the definition of em dash from Google Dictionary. The result also shows the em dash symbol. Now select and copy the symbol.
- Step 3: Paste the symbol on your document and wherever you need it.
Wasn’t this the quickest and easiest hack? Try it yourself!
How to Type Em Dash Symbol on Word?
If you want to insert the em dash and en dash symbols on a Word document, you can surely use the procedures mentioned above. However, say you are not connected to the internet, and you do not remember the shortcuts as well. What then? Worry not, we will help you out with these simple steps for both Mac and Windows users.
Mac Computer
- Step 1: Click on Insert tab > Advanced Symbol > Special Characters
- Step 2: The list of symbols will open. Select the em-dash symbol, then click Insert.
And Done!
Windows Computer
- Step 1: Select Insert tab > Symbol > More Symbols.
- Step 2: The Symbols dialogue box will open. Under the Symbols tab, you will find em-dash. Click on the symbol, and select Insert.
The em-dash symbol will be inserted in your Word file.
Shortcut Tips to Type Em Dash on Microsoft Office Apps:
The procedures mentioned above can take some extra steps and time. But here is a simple hack that you can use to type em-dash symbols on Microsoft Office Apps like Word and Outlook:
- For Em-dash, type two dashes between two words: for–example(+ space). Word will recognize this and turn it into an em-dash.
- For En-dash, type two words with a hyphen in the middle: for – example(+ space). Word will recognize this and turn it into an en dash.
Bonus Tip: Using Autocorrect on Word
Do you want to try out another simple method to type em-dash on Word? You can try the autocorrect method. Through this method, you can enter a prompt that, whenever typed in a Word doc, will be replaced with the em-dash. In this way, you do not have to stop your flow of writing and it will also save the time needed to follow tricky procedures. Let us show you how:
- Step 1: Open MS Word and select File > Options > Proofing.
- Step 2: Click on Autocorrect Options. A dialogue box will open.
- Step 3: Under the Autocorrect tab, add these shortcuts to the ‘Replace‘ and ‘With‘ fields:
Replace: .em With: —
Replace: .en With: – - Step 4: Click on Add, then OK.
Now every time you type .em or .en, they will be replaced with the respective symbols.
Final Thoughts
Now that we have disclosed all the simple and not-so-simple hacks to write em dash on the keyboard, we hope it will not be a headache anymore. Choose any of the methods that works best for you, and never let these minor issues bother you anymore. All the Best!
Srijita Datta is a content writer with over 4+ years of experience in various niches. Her active interest in exploring new and emerging SaaS software and the evolving world of AI motivates her to write crisp, engaging, and informative articles to share her knowledge. She is working with How to Buy SaaS as a content writer and curating fresh and unique content every week with an added expertise in SaaS content.
