To type an em dash on Windows, hold theAltkey and type1051on the numerical keyboard. On a Mac, it’sOption + Shift + Dash (-). You can punctuate an em dash either with spaces on either side, like I have, or without. It’s up to you, but make sure you’re consistent. Question...
Those are all fairly straightforward, and throughout your life, you’ve no doubt simply been reading the en-dash without much thought to it. We see it all over the place in print and online, so it’s very natural to have a firm grasp on where to use the en-dash in these sorts of...
Spaces with the em dash The em dash is typically used without spaces on either side, and that is the style used in this guide. Most newspapers, however, set the em dash off with a single space on each side. Example Most newspapers — and all that follow AP style — insert a space ...
Em Dash Keyboard Shortcuts: How Do You Make an Em Dash? Warning:To correctly make an em dash on Word and other word processors,DO NOTuse two consecutive hyphens or a double dash. Two adjacent hyphens (that's two of these, no spaces between them: – -) combine to form anen dash, li...
The em dash: Marking a break in a sentence Em dashes can be used in pairs to mark off additional information that is not essential to understand the sentence. Here they function similarly to parentheses or a pair of commas. An em dash is usually written without spaces on either side, alth...
We use Em Dash with thin spaces around. Votes Upvote Translate Translate Report Report Reply rob day Community Expert , Aug 17, 2019 Copy link to clipboard Too many Em-Dashes (as well as too me=any emphasises) is concidered as a sign of low-skilled author with some mess in the he...
With an en dash:“Investing in that startup seems like a high-risk–low-reward strategy.” Without an en dash:“Investing in that startup seems like a high-risk-low-reward strategy. What is an em dash? The em dash (—) is the longest of the dashes. The em dash gets its name bec...
If you're working in Microsoft Office apps like Word or Outlook, there's another option. Put two dashes between two words, like--this, and the app will understand you mean to insert an em dash. And if you want an en dash, surround a single dash with spaces between two words, like ...
Em Dash: Interruption The em dash lets us interrupt a sentence with other thoughts or information without notably slowing the sentence: Dad was relaxing—well, sleeping, actually—throughout the ball game. In this way, the em dashes resemble parentheses, but their tone and effect in the sentenc...
Learn what an em dash (—) is, how to use it correctly, its role in punctuation, and tips for avoiding common mistakes. Perfect for both formal and informal writing!