How to type Alt+0151
- Make sure Num Lock is on.
- Hold down the Alt key.
- Type 0151 on the numeric keypad. The number row above the letters will not work.
- Release Alt. The em dash symbol — appears.
The leading zero matters. Alt+0151 uses the Windows-1252 code page. Without the zero, Windows reads the older CP437 table and Alt+151 types a different character.
On a laptop without a numpad
Press Win+. to open the emoji panel, pick the Symbols tab and search for "em dash". Or open Character Map from the Start menu. In Microsoft Word you can type 2014 followed by Alt+X. Some laptops have a hidden numpad on the J, K, L, U, I and O keys that activates with Fn.
On a Mac
Alt codes do not exist on macOS, but this symbol has a shortcut: press Option+Shift+-.
In HTML and code
Use — in HTML, "\2014" in CSS and "\u2014" in JavaScript. See the Em Dash guide for every platform.
Frequently asked questions
What does Alt+0151 type?+
Alt+0151 types the em dash symbol, — (Unicode U+2014). Hold Alt, type 0151 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.
Why do I need the leading zero?+
Alt+0151 uses the Windows-1252 code page, which is selected by the leading zero. Without the zero, Windows reads the CP437 table and may type a different character.
Alt+0151 does not work. Why?+
Check that Num Lock is on and that you are using the numeric keypad rather than the number row. Laptops without a numpad cannot enter Alt codes: use Win + . for the symbol panel, Character Map, or copy the symbol from this page.
How do I type — on a Mac?+
Press Option+Shift+- on a Mac. Alt codes themselves do not work on macOS.