How to Create an Em Dash on Any Device or Platform

The em dash (—) is one of the most versatile punctuation marks in written English. It can replace commas, parentheses, or colons — and it adds a distinct rhythm and emphasis that other punctuation simply can't match. The challenge is that it doesn't appear on any standard keyboard key, which leaves a lot of people either avoiding it or settling for two hyphens (--) instead.

Here's how to actually create one, across every major platform and context.

What Is an Em Dash, Exactly?

Before diving into methods, it helps to understand what you're working with. An em dash gets its name from typography — it's roughly the width of the letter "M." It's longer than both the hyphen (-) and the en dash (–), and it serves a completely different purpose.

Knowing which one you need matters, especially in professional or published writing.

How to Type an Em Dash on Windows ⌨️

Windows gives you a few reliable options:

Method 1: Alt Code Hold down Alt and type 0151 on the numeric keypad (not the number row). Release Alt and the em dash appears. This only works if Num Lock is on and you're using a keyboard with a dedicated numpad.

Method 2: Character Map Open the Windows Character Map (search for it in the Start menu), find the em dash, and copy-paste it. Slow, but always available.

Method 3: Word's AutoCorrect Microsoft Word automatically converts two hyphens (--) into an em dash when you continue typing. This is a built-in AutoCorrect behavior. If it's not working, check File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options and make sure "Replace as you type" is enabled.

Method 4: Insert Symbol in Word Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, set the font to "normal text," and find the em dash in the Special Characters tab. You can also assign it a custom keyboard shortcut from that same dialog.

How to Type an Em Dash on Mac

Mac makes this significantly easier:

Keyboard shortcut:Option + Shift + Hyphen (-) — that's it. Works system-wide in almost every app, including Pages, Word, Notes, Mail, and most text editors.

If you're on a Mac and that shortcut isn't working, check whether the app is overriding it or whether your keyboard layout has remapped the modifier keys.

How to Type an Em Dash on iPhone or iPad 📱

There's no dedicated button, but there is a hidden press-and-hold option:

1. Tap and hold the hyphen key on the keyboard
2. A small popup appears with three options: hyphen, en dash, and em dash
3. Slide your finger to the em dash (the longest one) and release

This works in any iOS app that uses the standard keyboard.

How to Type an Em Dash on Android

Android behavior varies by keyboard app, but the general method is similar:

• Gboard (Google's keyboard): Tap and hold the hyphen/dash key to reveal the em dash as an option
• Samsung keyboard: Same press-and-hold approach, though the layout may look slightly different
• Third-party keyboards like SwiftKey also typically include it via a press-and-hold on the dash key

If your keyboard doesn't surface it this way, you can always copy-paste from a source like this article.

How to Insert an Em Dash in Google Docs

Google Docs has its own built-in substitution:

• Type two hyphens (--) between words without spaces, and Docs will often auto-convert to an em dash
• Go to Insert → Special Characters, search for "em dash," and insert it directly
• Use the substitution setting under Tools → Preferences → Substitutions to make -- automatically convert

The auto-substitution behavior in Google Docs depends on your preferences settings, so the experience won't be identical for every user.

How to Add an Em Dash in HTML or Code

If you're writing for the web or working in a content management system, you have three clean options:

• HTML entity (named):—
• HTML entity (numeric):—
• Direct Unicode character: Just paste — directly into your HTML or Markdown

Most modern CMS platforms and rich text editors handle the direct character just fine. If you're writing raw HTML or working in a plain-text environment, the named entity — is the most readable and portable option.

The Variable That Changes Everything

The "right" method depends entirely on your workflow. A novelist working in Word on Windows will probably want to configure AutoCorrect and forget about it. A developer writing documentation in a code editor may prefer typing the Unicode character directly or using a text expander. A social media manager on mobile will rely on the press-and-hold trick. 🖊️

Beyond platform, your typing speed, how often you use em dashes, and whether you're in a formatted editor or a plain-text environment all shift which method is worth the effort to learn versus which one just adds friction.

Some writers set up a text expansion shortcut — typing something like --m and having it auto-expand to — — using tools like AutoHotkey on Windows, Keyboard Maestro on Mac, or built-in text replacement in iOS and Android settings. That approach removes the need to memorize any keyboard shortcut at all, but it requires a bit of setup upfront.

The method that's actually useful is the one that fits how you already write — and that depends on details only you know about your setup.