What is the difference between an em dash, en dash, and hyphen?

A hyphen (-) is the shortest and joins compound words like well-known. An en dash (–) is roughly the width of the letter N and marks ranges, such as 2010-2020. An em dash (—) is the width of an M and sets off a clause or an abrupt break in a sentence.

How do I type an em dash on Windows?

Hold Alt and type 0151 on the numeric keypad (Alt+0151). In Word, you can also type two hyphens between words and let autocorrect convert them.

How do I type an em dash on a Mac?

Press Option+Shift+Hyphen (Option+Shift+-). This works in most macOS apps, including Pages, Safari, and Mail.

What is the HTML entity for the em dash?

Use — or the numeric entity — in HTML. Both render as —.

Should there be spaces around an em dash?

Style guides differ. US style (Chicago, AP) typically closes the dash with no spaces, like word—word. Many UK and web styles add a space on each side. Pick one convention and stay consistent within a document.

What is the Unicode code point for the em dash?

The em dash is U+2014 in the Unicode standard.

Em Dash

Name: Em Dash
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Copy the em dash (—) and find the exact keyboard shortcut, code point, or HTML entity for your operating system.

Em Dash

Click the symbol to copy it

Formats

Character —

Unicode U+2014

HTML entity —

HTML decimal —

CSS escape \2014

JS / JSON escape —

Click any row to copy that exact string.

Keyboard Shortcuts

System	Shortcut	Notes
Windows		Hold Alt, type 0151 on the numeric keypad.
Mac		Works in most macOS apps.
Linux (GTK)		Type the hex code, then press Enter or Space.
Microsoft Word		Type 2014 then press Alt+X to convert it.
Word autocorrect		Two hyphens between words, no spaces, autocorrects on the next word.

Em Dash vs En Dash vs Hyphen

Three marks that look similar but serve different jobs. Pick by width and purpose, not by habit.

Mark	Code point	Width	Typical use
-	U+002D	Shortest	Compound words, like well-known or twenty-two.
–	U+2013	Width of an N	Ranges and connections, like pages 10-20 or the London-Paris route.
—	U+2014	Width of an M	Setting off a clause, an abrupt break, or an attribution.

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Summary

Copy the em dash (—) and find the exact keyboard shortcut, code point, or HTML entity for your operating system.

How it works

Click the large em dash to copy it to your clipboard.
Or click any format in the list (Unicode, HTML entity, CSS escape) to copy that exact string.
Use the shortcut table to type the symbol directly from your keyboard on Windows, Mac, or Linux.
Check the comparison table to pick the right dash for a sentence.
Paste the symbol anywhere: documents, spreadsheets, code, or chat.

Use cases

Set off a clause or an aside in a sentence for emphasis.
Replace a colon, comma, or set of parentheses with a stronger break.
Show interrupted or trailing dialogue in fiction writing.
Insert a properly formatted em dash instead of a hyphen or double hyphen.
Add an attribution line after a quotation.
Drop the em dash into code, CSS content, or JSON without breaking encoding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-22 · Reviewed by Nham Vu