The em dash is the longest of the three horizontal marks, U+2014. It breaks a sentence, marks an interruption, or sets off an aside more sharply than a comma would. Press Alt+0151 on Windows, or Shift+Option+Hyphen on a Mac. It is named for its width, which traditionally matched the point size of the type.
01 All shortcuts at a glance
| Platform | Shortcut | |
|---|---|---|
| Windows (Alt code) | Hold Alt, type 0151 on the numpad |
|
| Windows (any app) | Win+. or Win+; emoji/symbol picker, or Character Map (Win+R → charmap) |
|
| Mac | Control+Command+Space to open Character Viewer, search "Em Dash" |
|
| Word / Outlook | Type 2014, then press Alt+X |
|
| Linux (IBus) | Ctrl+Shift+U, then 2014, then Enter |
|
| HTML / CSS | — · \2014 (CSS) |
02 Step by step, per platform
A real, followable procedure for every platform, not a thin restatement of the shortcut.
Windows
- Make sure Num Lock is on.
- Hold Alt and type 0151 on the numeric keypad.
- Release Alt, — appears.
Mac
- Press Control+Command+Space to open the Character Viewer.
- Type "Em Dash" in the search field.
- Double-click the result to insert it.
Microsoft Word
- Type 2014.
- Press Alt+X immediately after, it converts the hex code to —.
03 Characters in this set
04 Troubleshooting & confusables
| Looks like it | But it's actually | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| – (U+2013) | En dash, roughly half the width | Use the en dash for ranges and spans, such as 1914–1918 or pages 20–24. |
| - (U+002D) | Hyphen-minus, the keyboard key | Use it to join compounds and to break words across lines. It is far too short for a break. |
| ― (U+2015) | Horizontal bar, a quotation dash | Used to introduce dialogue in some languages. It is not an em dash substitute in English. |
| − (U+2212) | Minus sign, a maths operator | Use it in equations. It aligns with digits, which no dash does. |
05 FAQ
What is the Unicode code point for the em dash?
It is U+2014, decimal 8212. In HTML the named entity is —. On Windows the legacy Alt code is Alt+0151.
Should there be spaces around an em dash?
US style sets it closed up against the words on either side. British and Australian style more often uses a spaced en dash for the same job. Pick one convention and hold to it through the document.
What is the difference between an em dash, an en dash and a hyphen?
The hyphen joins parts of a word. The en dash spans a range. The em dash interrupts a sentence. They are three separate characters, and they get progressively longer in that order.
Why does my word processor turn two hyphens into a dash?
Autocorrect substitutes a dash for the typewriter convention of two hyphens. Word and Google Docs both do this. You can switch it off in the autocorrect settings if it is changing text you meant to keep.
Is an em dash safe to use in code or a CSV file?
Treat it with care. It is a normal Unicode character, but it often arrives by autocorrect in text that was meant to be plain, and a dash where a hyphen or minus was expected is a common cause of a confusing parse error.