How to type an em dash in Windows and macOS

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How to type an em nuance in Windows and macOS

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Figuring out how to blazon an em dash (—) is strangely unintuitive. Typing what'southward essentially only a long line or extended hyphen should be more attainable than it is, just happily there are at least several methods of doing it.

Mac users have the easiest fourth dimension of typing em dashes, with a single iii-primal shortcut. Windows users have something similar when using certain apps, but exterior of those you'll need to utilise one of several dissimilar shortcuts.

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Alternatively, you tin rely on existing or custom autocorrect options on your device to turn other characters into the elusive em dash.

So if you're fed upward of copy-pasting punctuation from a web page or somewhere else, here'south how you lot can type an em nuance yourself on Macs or Windows PCs.

How to blazon an em dash on macOS

As long as yous have a compatible or built-in keyboard with your Mac or MacBook, typing an em dash is very easy. Just press Option + Shift + the minus sign fundamental (next to 0 at the top of your keyboard) to produce a —.

If you're using a keyboard designed for Windows rather than a Mac, the verbal push combination may differ, but if you find which keys office as what, the combination volition however work.

Some of the options we'll explain below volition work on macOS too. Still with such an like shooting fish in a barrel method that works on a system-broad level, there'south probably no skillful reason to utilize them.

How to type an em dash on Windows

Information technology can't be denied that Windows users are missing out when it comes to convenient ways to type an em dash. At least there are several options however, which yous can mix and match between depending on what you're doing, to get the — y'all need.

If you have a full-size Windows keyboard with a numeric keypad — or num pad, for brusk — you lot can y'all can apply this code to type an em dash pretty much anywhere.

1. Hold the Alt central. Either ane will work just information technology'south all-time to utilise the one on the left-hand side considering y'all'll need your right hand for the next stride.

2. Now blazon "0151" on the num pad. An em dash — will appear where your cursor is currently located.

3. A clunkier method, merely i that works with whatsoever keyboard, is to utilise the Windows x emoji keyboard. Yous tin can utilise this to navigate to symbols and so select an em dash.

Press the Windows key and the period/full stop key (.) simultaneously. The Emoji Keyboard should now pop up.

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four. Click the correct-nearly tab with the omega (Ω) symbol on information technology.

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5. Scroll down until yous find the em dash symbol (—). Click it and information technology will announced in your document at the cursor.

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How to blazon an em nuance in a word processing app

Most discussion processing apps feature a list of all supported symbols. Although this is definitely a convoluted road to insert a single punctuation mark, it will get you an em dash in supported software and online tools. Here's how to do it in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

i. To get an em nuance in Microsoft Word, navigate to Insert, so Symbol.

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2. Select the "More Symbols" choice to get the full list of special characters.

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iii. Search in the Punctuation section for the em dash — click Insert when you're washed to insert the em dash into your certificate.

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4. In Google Docs, you tin go an em dash by selecting Insert, then Special Characters.

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five. From this menu, you tin then either search for the term "em dash", or draw a long line in the draw box and find the em dash among the search results.

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6. Using a code or the symbols carte is alright if you lot desire to add together in a single em dash, only information technology becomes deadening if you want to keep adding them in.

In this example, yous may want to consider using "Observe and Replace" to plow a placeholder symbol or phrase into an em dash once you lot've finished.

For case, suppose you lot use ii hyphens as you write in Microsoft Give-and-take 365. In one case you're done, press Ctrl + F to open the search box.

Click on the 3 horizontal dots, then the Supervene upon option.

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vii. Now add your placeholder and the em nuance (—) in their corresponding boxes.

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Y'all can either let Word replace everything direct up, or you can approve the replacements i at a fourth dimension if you're worried you'll accidentally interfere with some other part of your writing.

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8. In Google Docs, the process is similar. Utilise Ctrl + F (Cmd + F on macOS) to open up the Detect carte. Then click the 3 vertical dots

On the side by side menu, input your placeholder in the "Find" box and an em dash in the "Supplant with" box. Replace your placeholder as required.

How to blazon an em dash using a custom app

Unless you lot want to set a more circuitous proofreading or spell-checking app just to use em dashes, your all-time option is probably Em-due north-en past CemraJC, a lightweight app that'south like shooting fish in a barrel to set.

1. In one case on the Em-n-en home folio, click either "download the program" or "Binary Executable: Download". This volition take yous to the related folio on GitHub, a popular code repository site, where you can really download the app.

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2. Here, click the summit link in the list to download the Em-north-enprogramme, then run the file.

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iii. If Windows blocks installation with a SmartScreen pop-upwards, warning you that information technology doesn't recognize the app, click "More info" at the lesser of the warning, and so the "Run anyway" button.

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four. You'll now exist faced with the set-upwards menu for Em-n-en. Hither you can choice whether you lot want to access em dashes and en dashes with a key combination, past typing a sequence of symbols or (more drastically) past replacing every hyphen you type that isn't adjacent to a letter.

You lot can also make up one's mind whether yous want to have the app agile from first-up, or if you want to enable it manually. It will certainly save y'all a lot of trouble the next fourth dimension you need the '—' symbol.

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More than Windows and macOS tips

Need more desktop and laptop tips for Windows or macOS? Why not learn how to hide desktop icons in Windows 10 if you want a cleaner desktop, or how to disable the Windows key to preclude accidental taps?

Nosotros've also got a guide on how to check MacBook battery health if you're using an Apple-fabricated laptop, and ane on how to fix a Mac that won't start if y'all only can't go information technology to piece of work.

Richard is a Tom's Guide staff writer based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, gaming, audio and whatever else people need advice on. He'due south also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/how-to/how-to-type-an-em-dash-on-windows-and-macos

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