How to Type an Em Dash (—) and En Dash (–) on Any Device

The em dash (—) and en dash (–) are not hyphens, and most keyboards have no dedicated key for either. Here is every reliable way to type them on a computer or phone, plus the codes for Word, Google Docs, and the web.

Quick answer

Windows: Alt codes

1. Make sure you have a physical numeric keypad, or enable the on-screen keypad (NumLock must be on).
2. Hold Alt and type 0151 on the numpad for an em dash.
3. Hold Alt and type 0150 on the numpad for an en dash.
4. Release Alt last. The character appears where your cursor is.

These are Windows-1252 codes (the leading zero matters). They work in nearly every Windows app, including Word, Outlook and web browsers, as long as you type the digits on the numeric keypad.

Windows emoji and symbol panel

Press Windows key + . (period) or Windows key + ; to open the emoji panel, then click the Omega (Ω) symbols tab. Search is limited, but you can browse punctuation and click the dash you need to insert it directly.

Mac: Option key shortcuts

1. For an en dash, press Option + - (the minus key, not the numpad).
2. For an em dash, press Option + Shift + -.

These work system-wide in macOS: Pages, Mail, Safari, Notes, and most text fields.

Mac Character Viewer

If a shortcut does not fire in a particular app, press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, type “em dash” or “en dash” in the search box, and double-click the result to insert it.

iPhone and iPad

1. Open any app with a text field and tap to bring up the keyboard.
2. Switch to the numbers/symbols keyboard if the hyphen is not visible, or just find the hyphen key.
3. Press and hold the hyphen (-) key.
4. A small popup shows en dash and em dash options. Slide your finger to pick one and release.

The exact popup options can vary slightly by iOS version and keyboard language, but the hyphen key is the one to long-press.

Android

1. Open the keyboard (Gboard is the most common) and switch to the symbols view (?123).
2. Long-press the hyphen/minus key.
3. A row of dash variants appears, including en dash and em dash. Slide and release on the one you want.

Other Android keyboards (Samsung Keyboard, SwiftKey) use the same long-press pattern on the hyphen key, though the exact symbols shown can differ.

Microsoft Word

Autoformat (fastest if you are already typing)

• Type a word, two hyphens, and another word with no spaces (word**–**word), then type a space or punctuation after. Word automatically converts the double hyphen to an em dash.
• Type a word, a space, a hyphen, a space, and another word (word - word). When you continue typing past the second word, Word may convert the single hyphen with spaces to an en dash, depending on your autoformat settings.

If this does not happen, go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type and confirm “Hyphens (–) with dash (—)” is checked.

Alt+X method

Type the Unicode hex code, then press Alt+X immediately after it to convert it to the character:

• Type 2014 then press Alt+X for an em dash.
• Type 2013 then press Alt+X for an en dash.

Like Alt codes above 255 (such as Alt+8212), Alt+X only works in Word and WordPad, not in most other Windows apps.

Insert Symbol

Go to Insert > Symbol > More Symbols, set the font to (normal text), and look under the General Punctuation subset. Select the em dash or en dash and click Insert.

Google Docs

1. Go to Insert > Special characters.
2. Type “em dash” or “en dash” in the search box.
3. Click the symbol to insert it at your cursor.

Google Docs can also replace typed text with a dash automatically. Open Tools > Preferences > Substitutions to see whether a – entry is already on, or add your own, for example – to —.

Excel and Google Sheets

Use a formula to insert the character by its Unicode code point:

• Excel: =UNICHAR(8212) for an em dash, =UNICHAR(8211) for an en dash.
• Google Sheets: =CHAR(8212) for an em dash, =CHAR(8211) for an en dash (Sheets also accepts UNICHAR).

HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

In JavaScript strings you can use the Unicode escapes directly: "\u2014" for an em dash and "\u2013" for an en dash.

When to use each dash

• Em dash (—): marks a break in a sentence or sets off a parenthetical phrase, often replacing commas, parentheses, or a colon. Example: “She finally answered the question—after thinking for a full minute.”
• En dash (–): shows a range of numbers or dates, or connects two related items of equal weight. Example: “pages 10–20” or “the New York–London flight.”
• Hyphen (-): joins compound words, like “well-known” or “mother-in-law.”

Style guides differ on spacing. Chicago sets the em dash with no spaces around it, AP puts a space on each side, and many British and European styles use a spaced en dash instead of an em dash for the same purpose.

Troubleshooting

Alt code does nothing on Windows. Laptops without a numeric keypad need NumLock enabled on the embedded number keys (often Fn + a row of letter keys), or you can use the on-screen keyboard’s numpad view.

Character looks like a box or question mark. The font you are using lacks the glyph. Switch to a common system font like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, which all include em and en dashes.

Word keeps undoing my autoformatted dash. AutoCorrect only converts the dash when you keep typing past it. If you insert the dash and then immediately undo or edit, Word may revert it. Retype the sentence through to the next word and space.

Alt+X gives the wrong character. Make sure there is no space between the hex code and the cursor when you press Alt+X, and that you are working in Word or WordPad, since other apps do not support this shortcut.

Frequently asked questions