Em Dash
Em Dash • U+2014
Symbol Description
The em dash is a punctuation mark used to indicate pauses, interruptions, or emphasis in sentences. It is longer than both hyphens and en dashes.
Primary Uses:
- •Replace commas for stronger pauses
- •Replace parentheses to insert explanatory information
- •Replace colons to introduce summaries or explanations
- •Indicate dialogue interruption in novels or scripts
Technical Information
Unicode
HTML Entity
HTML Code
CSS Code
Hex Code
Alt Code
Usage Examples
I am very busy today—I have three meetings to attend.
This book—my favorite novel—has finally been reprinted.
Success requires two things—effort and persistence.
Input Method Guide
Windows Input Methods
1Alt Code
- 1
Make sure Num Lock is enabled
- 2
Hold down the left Alt key
- 3
Type 0151 on the numeric keypad
💡 Alt codes require a physical numeric keypad and may not work in some laptops or apps. If it fails, use the Unicode Alt+X method below.
- 4
Release Alt key, em dash (—) will appear
2Unicode (Alt+X)
- 1
Type 2014 in the document
- 2
Press Alt + X to convert to the symbol
💡 Alt+X works in Microsoft Word and many Office apps. It is not supported in Notepad and some third-party editors.
3Word Method
- 1
Type two hyphens -- in Microsoft Word
- 2
Press spacebar, Word will auto-convert to em dash