How Do I Type the Em Dash on Any Keyboard?

Quick Answer

On Windows with a numeric keypad, hold Alt and type 0151 to insert an em dash (—). On Mac, press Option + Shift + minus. On iPhone and Android, press and hold the hyphen key on the on screen keyboard, then slide onto the long dash.

In Microsoft Word and Google Docs, type two hyphens between two words with no space, then a space after the next word. The autocorrect engine converts the double hyphen into an em dash automatically.

Hyphen vs en dash vs em dash

Three marks look similar but do different jobs in English typography.

• Hyphen (-): joins compound words like well-researched or self-care. Sits on every keyboard.
• En dash (–): roughly the width of a capital N. Used for numeric and date ranges (1998 to 2026, Monday to Friday).
• Em dash (—): roughly the width of a capital M. Used for strong parenthetical breaks where commas would feel too soft.

Using a hyphen where prose calls for an em dash looks unfinished. Using an em dash where a hyphen belongs (well—researched) reads as a typo. Get the right one in place and your writing instantly looks more typeset.

Windows shortcuts

With a numeric keypad

1. Make sure Num Lock is on.
2. Hold the left Alt key.
3. Type 0151 on the numeric pad.
4. Release Alt. The em dash appears.

The leading zero matters. Alt + 151 (no zero) inserts a totally different character from the legacy code page.

Without a numeric keypad

Most laptops omit the dedicated number pad. Use the Windows emoji and symbol picker instead.

1. Press Windows + period (or Windows + semicolon).
2. Click the Omega icon at the top of the picker.
3. Open the General Punctuation tab.
4. Click the em dash to insert it. Recently used symbols stay at the top, so step 4 becomes one click going forward.

Microsoft Word power user trick

Type 2014, then press Alt + X. Word converts the Unicode hex code to the matching character. 2014 is the official Unicode point for em dash; 2013 is the en dash.

Mac shortcuts

macOS bakes the em dash into the keyboard layout, so no numeric code is required.

• Em dash: Option + Shift + minus.
• En dash: Option + minus.

If you forget the combo, open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Spacebar, search "em dash", and double-click to insert.

iPhone and iPad

1. Tap the 123 key on the iOS keyboard to reach the numbers and symbols layout.
2. Press and hold the hyphen key.
3. A small popup shows the hyphen, en dash, em dash, and bullet point.
4. Slide your finger onto the em dash and release.

If you use the em dash often, set up a Text Replacement under Settings, General, Keyboard, Text Replacement. Add an em dash as the Phrase and a short trigger (like emm) as the Shortcut.

Android

Gboard, Samsung Keyboard, and SwiftKey all use the same long-press pattern.

1. Switch to the symbols layout by tapping ?123.
2. Long press the hyphen key.
3. Choose the em dash from the popup.

To set up a quick shortcut on Gboard, open the app, tap Dictionary, Personal Dictionary, choose your language, and add the em dash with a trigger like emdash.

Google Docs and online editors

Google Docs ships with Smart Quotes and dash autocorrect enabled by default.

• Type a word, two hyphens with no space, the next word, then a space. The double hyphen converts to an em dash.
• To insert one manually, open Insert, Special characters, search "em dash", and click.
• You can also type 2014 then Alt + X in Google Docs on Windows; the same Unicode trick works.

In Notion, Bear, iA Writer, and most modern Markdown editors, three consecutive hyphens render as an em dash on export. Two hyphens render as an en dash.

When to actually reach for the em dash

Used well, the em dash adds rhythm. Used everywhere, it makes writing feel breathless.

• Insert a sharp aside where commas would slow the sentence down: My laptop, the one I bought in 2023, broke vs My laptop — the one I bought in 2023 — broke.
• Replace a colon when the second clause arrives as a punch: We left at dawn for one reason — the tide.
• Show interrupted dialogue: "I think I see —" she stopped mid sentence.

One or two per page is plenty. More than that and the rhythm of your prose flattens out.

FAQs

Why does Alt + 0151 do nothing on my laptop?

Alt codes only work on a real numeric keypad. The number row above QWERTY does not count. Use the emoji picker (Windows + period) instead.

Is there a single shortcut that works everywhere?

Set up a system level text replacement that expands emm or -- to an em dash. Once it is in place you can ignore every other shortcut.

The takeaway

The fastest route depends on your device: Alt + 0151 on Windows desktops, Option + Shift + minus on Mac, long press on phones, double hyphen autocorrect in Word and Docs. Pick one, build the muscle memory, and your prose stops looking like email.