How Do You Make An Em Dash In Word | Fast Dash Steps

That long dash (—) is handy when you want a clean break in a sentence without parentheses. Word can type it a few ways, so you can pick what fits your setup: a desktop with a number pad, a compact laptop, a Mac, or the web app.

The goal is to get a real em dash (—), not two hyphens, not a minus sign, and not an en dash (–). Once you settle on one approach, it stops being a “where is that symbol?” moment.

How Do You Make An Em Dash In Word

When people ask “how do you make an em dash in word”, they usually want the fastest option that works right now. Start with the built-in shortcut. If your hardware makes that awkward, switch to AutoCorrect or the Symbols picker.

Way To Insert —	Where It Works	What You Do
Shortcut (Windows)	Desktop Word on Windows	Press Ctrl + Alt + Minus on the number pad
Shortcut (Mac)	Desktop Word on macOS	Press Shift + Option + Hyphen
AutoCorrect swap	Desktop Word, often Word for the web	Type two hyphens between words, then finish the word or hit Space
Symbols picker	Desktop Word on Windows and Mac	Insert → Symbol → More Symbols → Special Characters → Em Dash
Alt code	Windows with a number pad	Hold Alt, type 0151 on the number pad, then release Alt
Unicode conversion	Desktop Word on Windows	Type 2014, then press Alt + X
Custom shortcut	Desktop Word on Windows and Mac	Assign your own shortcut to “Em Dash” in Word settings
Copy, then paste	Any version of Word	Copy an em dash once, then paste when you need it

If you want a quick reference for what each dash means, Microsoft’s style guide lists em dashes, en dashes, and related symbols on one page: em dash and special character list.

Making an em dash in Word with shortcut combos

Windows shortcut with a number pad

On Windows, Word includes a direct shortcut: hold Ctrl and Alt, then press Minus on the number pad. Use the minus in the pad cluster, not the hyphen near the zero on the main row.

If nothing happens, check two details. The document caret must be in normal text (not inside a field that blocks special characters). Then confirm your number pad is active, since some laptops share the pad with letter buttons and need a toggle.

Mac shortcut

On a Mac, press Shift + Option + Hyphen to insert an em dash at the cursor. If you get an en dash instead, you likely pressed Option + Hyphen without Shift.

If your layout is non-US, the symbols printed on the caps can differ. Open the macOS character viewer to confirm what your buttons will type when you hold Option and Shift.

Word for the web

Word in a browser can feel stricter about shortcuts. If your combo isn’t accepted, use one of the steady options: paste an em dash you copied earlier, or use the ribbon’s symbol insertion feature if your version shows it.

Typing two hyphens that turn into an em dash

This is the smoothest option on compact laptops. Type two hyphens with no spaces between two words, then finish the next word or press Space. Word can swap the hyphens into an em dash as you type.

The spacing changes the result. “word–word” can become “word—word”. If you type spaces around the hyphens, Word can treat it as a different rule and produce an en dash instead of an em dash.

Turn the swap on or off

If the swap never happens, the setting may be off. On Windows, check File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options, then open “AutoFormat As You Type” and tick the option that replaces hyphens with a dash. On Mac, find the same AutoCorrect options under Word preferences.

If you automate Word with VBA, Microsoft documents the same switch as Options.AutoFormatReplaceSymbols, which controls the double-hyphen replacement behavior.

Inserting an em dash from the Symbols picker

If you want a method that’s visible and predictable, use Word’s symbol list. Click where you want the dash, go to Insert, choose Symbol, then “More Symbols”. On the Special Characters tab, select Em Dash and press Insert.

This route looks slower, yet it helps when you’re setting up a repeatable workflow. With the em dash selected in the dialog, you can assign a shortcut or create an AutoCorrect trigger so typing a short code drops in “—” on demand.

Create an AutoCorrect trigger you’ll remember

In the Symbols dialog, look for an AutoCorrect button. Add a short trigger text that you’ll never type by accident, like “emdash” or “mdash”. Then, when you type that trigger and press Space, Word swaps it for the symbol.

If you share files with others, stick to triggers that won’t confuse collaborators. They may not have your AutoCorrect entries, so the trigger text could remain visible in their copy.

Getting an em dash in Word on phone and tablet

If you draft in Word on iPhone, iPad, or Android, Word relies on your device’s typing panel. Most phone panels often hide the em dash under the hyphen button. Press and hold the hyphen, then slide to the longer dash (—) and lift your finger.

If your device doesn’t show a long-press menu, use text replacement. On iOS, add a Text Replacement entry in Settings so a short trigger like “emdash” becomes “—”. On Android, many panels offer a personal dictionary or shortcut feature that can swap a trigger for the em dash. After that, you can type the trigger in Word and the device will replace it.

Phone typing panels differ by language and layout. If you can’t find the long-press option, switch layouts and try again. Once you find it, you’re set.

Alt codes and Unicode conversion when menus are slow

When you’re stuck without a friendly shortcut, two built-in tricks can save you: Alt codes and Unicode conversion.

Use Alt + 0151 on Windows

Hold Alt, then type 0151 on the number pad. Release Alt and you should see “—”. This needs pad digits, so it won’t work with the top row numbers.

Use 2014 then Alt + X in Word

In desktop Word, type the Unicode hex value for an em dash, then press Alt + X to convert it. Type 2014, press Alt + X, and Word converts it to “—”. Press Alt + X again with the dash selected to flip back to the code.

Fixes when Word won’t insert the dash you want

If Word refuses to create the dash, start with a blank document. If the shortcut works there, the issue is likely tied to the template, an add-in, or a document setting.

Make sure you’re pressing the right button

Most failures come down to this: the shortcut expects the minus button from the number pad. On compact laptops, that button may not exist, so Word never receives the correct signal.

Check for shortcut conflicts

Utilities that remap buttons, screen recorders, and even some chat apps can grab shortcuts. If the combo works on one PC but not another, compare what’s running in the background, then test again after a restart.

Assign your own shortcut inside Word

Word lets you set custom shortcuts for symbols. If you don’t want to fight the default combo, assign your own and use it across your devices. Pick something easy to reach and unlikely to collide with formatting commands.

And yes, if you’ve landed here by typing “how do you make an em dash in word” into search, this is the point where most writers settle on one shortcut they trust plus one backup option for odd hardware.

Common em dash problems and fast fixes

The table below pairs common symptoms with a likely cause and a fix you can try in under a minute.

What You See	Likely Cause	What To Try
Ctrl + Alt + Minus does nothing	Used the hyphen button, not the number-pad minus	Use the pad minus, or set a custom shortcut for Em Dash
Alt + 0151 inserts something else	Typed digits on the top row	Use number-pad digits, or switch to 2014 then Alt + X
Two hyphens stay as “–”	AutoFormat swap turned off	Enable the hyphens-to-dash setting under AutoCorrect
Two hyphens turn into an en dash	Spaces around the hyphens	Type the hyphens with no spaces between the words
Mac combo inserts a short dash	Shift wasn’t pressed	Press Shift + Option + Hyphen
Em dash wraps oddly at line ends	Spaces let Word break the line near the dash	Remove spaces around the dash, or insert a nonbreaking space
Pasted dashes change after more typing	AutoCorrect edits nearby text	Undo once, then paste as plain text
Works in one file, fails in another	Template or add-in overrides shortcuts	Test in a blank file, then check add-ins and templates

Spacing rules that keep your document tidy

After you can insert “—” on demand, decide on spacing. Many US styles prefer no spaces: “word—word”. Some publishers use spaces around the dash. Word won’t care, yet consistent spacing makes editing easier.

Fix mixed spacing with Find and Replace

If your draft has mixed styles, clean it up in one pass. Search for the pattern you used while drafting, like space-hyphen-hyphen-space, then replace it with the real em dash and your chosen spacing.

If you keep spaces around the dash, Word can break a line between the dash and its neighbor word. To prevent that, insert a nonbreaking space before or after the dash. In Word on Windows, Ctrl + Shift + Space inserts a nonbreaking space.

Watch for minus signs in pasted text

Text pasted from spreadsheets or web pages can contain a minus sign (−) or a plain hyphen (-) where you meant an em dash. If something looks off, open the Symbols picker and check the character name.

One-page checklist for daily writing

Save this checklist in your notes so you can fix em dash issues in any document without menu hunting.

• Windows desktop Word: Ctrl + Alt + Minus on the number pad.
• Mac desktop Word: Shift + Option + Hyphen.
• No number pad: type two hyphens between words, then finish the word or press Space.
• No swap: enable the hyphens-to-dash option under AutoCorrect’s “AutoFormat As You Type”.
• Menu path: Insert → Symbol → More Symbols → Special Characters → Em Dash.
• Backup in Word: type 2014, then press Alt + X.
• Mixed spacing: pick spaced or unspaced dashes, then fix the file with Find and Replace.