An em dash, or long dash, is used. In pairs, to mark off information or ideas that are not essential to an understanding of the rest of the sentence: Thousands of children—like the girl in this photograph—have been left homeless. If you're just using em-dashes for stylistic breaks-like this-the built-in dash conversion should do what you need. Make sure it's enabled: Tools AutoCorrect AutoCorrect Options Options and select 'Replace Dashes'. Then, when you type a word, two hyphens, another word, and finally a space, the two hypens will be replaced with an em-dash. In Google Docs, if you type two hyphens followed by a space, those two hyphens will be changed to an em dash. Out of the box, Word and Scrivener will do the same. There isn’t an autocorrect option out of the box for an en dash, though. So, you can try this.
An em dash is a common character in the writer's toolbox. Many word processing programs—such as Microsoft Word—automatically convert a double-dash into an em dash. However, it takes a little bit of work to use them in InDesign, where em dashes can be created either through the use of a hot-key combination or in the user menus. Em dash shortcut 3 (Mac): If you are on mac, below is a shortcut to help you type the em dash sign in Word. Command (⌘) + M Type this sign on Mac, press and hold the Command (⌘) key and the hit the M key.
Everything you've ever wanted to know about dashes
If you're confused about the various types of dashes and when to use them, you're not alone. Figuring out whether to use an en dash, em dash, 2 em dashes, or even (gasp!) 3 em dashes can be confusing. Let's take a look at the different types of dashes and when to use these little punctuation marks.
En dash
In ranges
The en dash (–) gets its name because it's the same width as the letter N. It is generally used in place of 'to' for connecting numbers in ranges, although it can also connect words (in which case, it means 'through'). For example,
- David Foster Wallace (1962–2008)
- May–October
- 25–45°C
- The Packers won 21–14.
Note that an en dash should not be used for negative numbers, and that there should be no spaces before or after it. It should also not be used when the number or word is preceded by from or between (from…to, or between…and). So, the following sentences are correct:
- The temperature is 32–45°F.
- The park is open May–October.
- The temperature is between 32 and 45°F.
- The park is open from May to October.
However, these uses are incorrect:
- The temperature is between 32–45°F.
- The park is open from May–October.
Instead of a hyphen
The en dash can be used when joining compound modifiers where at least one of the words is an open compound (meaning not hyphenated) or is already hyphenated. For example,
- New York–Tel Aviv connection
- Mother-of-the-bride–approved dresses
- Post–October Revolution politics
Creating an en dash
Creating an en dash can be done by either:
- [ctrl] and the minus sign on the numpad or
- [alt] 0150 (on the numpad)
Em dash
The em dash (— or -- [on an old-fashioned typewriter]) is the most commonly used type of dash and is often simply referred to as a dash. It gets its name—no big surprise here—because it's the width of an M. This punctuation mark is used primarily in informal writing in place of a comma, colon, semicolon, or parentheses to provide emphasis.
Set off parenthetical elements/explain
When I was driving—well, asleep at the wheel—I got into an accident.
Em Dash On Keyboard Pc
The em dash in this example could be substituted with parentheses, but not a comma because commas cannot be used to set off parenthetical expressions when there is internal punctuation (commas inside the expressions), as can be seen in the following example.
When I was driving, well, asleep at the wheel, we got into an accident.
Sudden turn in thought/break in dialogue
'Mary, How could—Why would you do such a thing?'
How To Insert Em Dash Word
'Can I finish my—,' the child pleaded.
'No! Get over here right now,' his mother shouted.
Unknown values in a table
An em dash can be used in place of an unknown value in a table.
Time (h) | Volume (mL) |
24 | 12 |
48 | 8 |
72 | — |
Creating an em dash
Creating an em dash can be done by either:
- [ctrl] [alt] and the minus sign on the numbers pad or
- [alt] 0151 (on the numpad)
2 em dash
The 2 em dash can be used to indicate missing letters in a word, either because material is missing or illegible, or to conceal a name. For example,
Mr. H—— and Mr. S—— entered into a legal agreement.
3 em dashes
These are used in bibliographies when the author's name is repeated.
———. Adventures in Fancy. New York: Labadie & Sons. 2010.
Overall, dashes—especially en and em dashes—are useful tools writers should master. To learn more about the correct use of dashes and other punctuation marks, check out GrammarCamp, a proven grammar training course.
Image source: Francesco Gallarottie/Stocksnap.io
How To Insert An En Dash
Typographers use different dashes for different purposes. The only difference between the dashes is their width. For instance, you get one type of dash when you press on the minus key—it is a dash that is very narrow. A longer dash is called an en dash, because it is the same width as a lowercase n. An en-dash is typically used to denote ranges of numbers. Wider still is the em-dash, which is just as wide as a lowercase m. The em-dash is typically used in sentences, as a dash between clauses.
To insert an en-dash in your document, hold down the Alt key and type 0150 on the numeric keypad; an em-dash is produced by holding down the Alt key and typing 0151. (Make sure you type the numbers on the numeric keypad. If you type them using any other numeric keys, it won't work.) You could also use the Special Characters tab of the Symbol dialog box to add the dashes.
You may be familiar with using em- and en-dashes from working with Word. They work the same way in Excel. The only caveat is that when you use special dashes (as opposed to a regular minus sign), Excel automatically treats the information in your cell as text.