How To Type An en Dash And em Dash On Windows And Mac?

It’s never too late to learn how to omit a dash if you ever needed to but didn’t know how. We’ll walk you through how to type an en dash and em dash on Windows and Mac, so no need to worry; just go through the article.

Sometimes a shorter en or em dash is more appropriate for the situation than a plain minus sign. In general, you can type the majority of common symbols by pressing the correct keys at the appropriate times and frequently in the correct order. Let’s discuss how to type an en dash and em dash on Windows and Mac.

To type an en dash and em dash on Windows and Mac, for Windows > en (–) dash: Ctrl + Minus (-) and em (—) dash: Ctrl + Alt + Minus (-). For Mac > en (–) dash: Option (⌥) + Minus (-) and em (—) dash: Shift (⇧) + Option (⌥) + Minus (-).

Now that you got the brief, let’s start with the article and jump into how to type an en dash and em dash on Windows and Mac.

What Is An en Dash And em Dash?

The en dashes (-) resemble hyphens (-), but they are somewhat longer—equivalent to the length of the letter “n”. These en dashes are typically employed in four contexts: scores, conflicts, ranges of dates or numbers, and links.

An em dash got its name because it is the same length as the letter “m.” In American English, parenthetical information is typically denoted with em dashes.

How To Type An en Dash And em Dash On Windows?

You have a few alternatives when it comes to eliminating dashes in Windows. The quickest approach is a straightforward key combination, while Alt codes are an option if you’d rather press a few extra buttons. Finally, the individual viewer can intervene to save the day if everything else fails. Let’s review the Windows alternatives.

How To Type An en Dash And em Dash On Windows Using Key Combinations?

Following are the key combinations for the en and em dashes on Windows:

en (–) dash: Ctrl + Minus (-)

em (—) dash: Ctrl + Alt + Minus (-)

How To Type An en Dash And em Dash On Windows Using Alt Codes?

Follow the instructions to type en and em dashes using Windows Alt codes:

en (–) dash: Hold Alt, press 8211 or 0150, and release Alt

em (—) dash: Hold Alt, press 8212 or 0151, and release Alt

How To Type An en Dash And em Dash On Windows Using Character Viewer?

Here’s how to use the Windows character viewer to add an en or em dash:

Step 1: Using Windows + Period (.), launch the character viewer, then select the Symbols tab.

Step 2: Click to insert the en (-) or em (—) dash when you have found it.

You now understand all three ways to add any number of dashes to Windows.

How To Type An en Dash And em Dash On Mac?

Dropping dashes in macOS is as simple as pressing a few keys. You can also access the character viewer if you’d rather do things manually or if your keyboard isn’t working. Let’s go over macOS’s options.

How To Type An en Dash And em Dash On Mac Using Key Combinations?

For Mac, these are the key combos for the en and em dashes:

en (–) dash: Option (⌥) + Minus (-)

em (—) dash: Shift (⇧) + Option (⌥) + Minus (-)

How To Type An en Dash And em Dash On Mac Using Character Viewer?

Here’s how to use the macOS character viewer to add an en or em dash:

Step 1: Navigate to Edit > Emoji & Symbols in the respective app (mac-edit-menu.jpg)

Step 2: Punctuation can be found in the side menu (mac-character-viewer-emoji.jpg)

Step 3: Double-click the en (-) or em (—) dash to insert

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Wrapping Up

In this article, we have discussed multiple ways to type an en dash and em dash on Windows and Mac. Let’s try all methods that we have discussed in this article. If none of the aforementioned techniques work for you, you can always attempt passing off a group of negatives for the dash you want to remove and hope that no one would notice.

Share your thoughts on this discussion in the comment box. Follow Deasilex for more updates on Mac and Windows!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How Do You Type An em Dash In Windows On A Mac?

Press the “option+shift+hyphen key” on a Mac. It will be automatically changed to an em-dash by Word. The option key may be referred to as “alt” on various Mac keyboards. For a desktop PC, use the numeric keypad to press “alt+ctrl+minus”.

Q2. How To Do An em Dash On Mac?

It is fairly simple to type an em dash on a Mac or MacBook as long as your keyboard is suitable or built-in. To create a —, simply press Option + Shift + the minus sign key (located next to 0 at the top of your keyboard).

Q3. How Do You Insert An em Dash And en Dash?

Using Ctrl and keyboard keys to add an em or en dash. Click where you want to place the em dash, then press Ctrl + Alt + ‘-‘ to put it. Click the desired location for the en dash and then press Ctrl + ‘-‘ to add one.

Q4. How Do I Type An em Dash In Windows Without A Numpad?

Use the Fn (Function) key combination on a keyboard without a numeric keypad to enter the numbers. (On a keyboard, the Fn key is often located to the right of the Ctrl key on the left.) For an en dash, for instance, on a US keyboard layout, Alt+Fn+mjim should be used, and for an em dash, Alt+Fn+mjij.

Q5. How Do You Alt On A Mac With A Windows Keyboard?

The Windows key replaces the Command key when using a Windows keyboard on a Mac, while the Alt key takes the place of the Option key. For instance, the shortcut for Undo would be Windows+Z rather than Command+Z.

How To Type An en Dash And em Dash On Windows And Mac? Explained!