Free generator, copy and paste
Em dash copy and paste — and how to type it
Click the dash you need to copy it. Or type with two hyphens in the box and copy your text with real em dashes in place.
- em dash
- em dash, spaced
Copy a dash
Updated · strikethroughtext.online
Which dash do you want?
| Dash | Name | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Em dash | Breaks and asides in a sentence | It was late—too late—to call. |
| – | En dash | Ranges and connections | 9–5, pages 4–7, the London–Paris train |
| - | Hyphen | Joining words, splitting words at a line end | well-known, re-enter |
| − | Minus sign | Maths | 7 − 3 = 4 |
| ‒ | Figure dash | Phone numbers and digits in tables | 555‒0199 |
| ― | Horizontal bar | Introducing quoted speech in some styles | ― Who’s there? |
| ⸺ ⸻ | Two- and three-em dash | Missing letters or a repeated author in a bibliography | Mr. G⸺ |
The em dash is named for its width: in traditional type it was about as wide as a capital M. The en dash is about half that, roughly the width of an N.
How to type an em dash
| Where | How |
|---|---|
| Windows | Hold Alt and type 0151 on the number pad, or open the emoji panel with Win + . and find it under Symbols |
| Mac | Option + Shift + - (en dash is Option + -) |
| iPhone and iPad | Switch to the 123 keyboard, hold -, slide to the longest dash |
| Android (Gboard) | Hold - on the symbols keyboard and pick the longest dash |
| Word | Type two hyphens between words and keep typing, or Ctrl + Alt + Num -, or type 2014 then press Alt + X |
| Google Docs | Insert > Special characters and search “em dash”, or add – → — under Tools > Preferences > Substitutions |
| HTML | — or — |
No number pad? The emoji panel on Windows and the copy buttons at the top of this page are the quickest route.
Spaced or closed up?
Both are correct; it’s a house-style choice. American books and most US style guides close the em dash up (late—too late). Newspapers following AP style, and most British publishers, put a space either side, and many British publishers use a spaced en dash instead (late – too late). The box at the top gives you both closed and spaced em dashes; pick the one your publication uses and stay consistent.
The two-hyphen habit
Typewriters had no em dash, so typists wrote two hyphens (–) and typesetters swapped them later. Plenty of apps still do that swap: Word, Pages and many Markdown tools convert – as you type. Places that don’t, like most comment boxes, chat apps and social posts, keep the hyphens. Type your text with – in the box above and copy it back with real dashes.
Too many dashes?
Em dashes have become a talking point because AI writing tools use a lot of them. The dash itself isn’t the problem: writers have used it for centuries. A page full of them reads as breathless, though. If you want fewer, the em dash remover swaps them for commas, full stops, brackets or hyphens and shows you each version side by side.
Questions people ask
How do I type an em dash on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Windows: hold Alt and type 0151 on the number pad, or press Windows + . and look under Symbols. Mac: Option + Shift + hyphen. iPhone and Android: press and hold the hyphen key on the symbols keyboard and slide to the longest dash.
What is the difference between an em dash, an en dash and a hyphen?
A hyphen (-) joins words, as in well-known. An en dash (–) shows a range, as in 9–5 or pages 4–7. An em dash (—) breaks a sentence for an aside or a sudden turn. The em dash is the widest of the three.
Why does Word turn two hyphens into an em dash, and how do I stop it?
Word’s AutoFormat As You Type replaces two hyphens between words with an em dash. To turn it off, open File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type and untick the hyphens-with-dash option. Ctrl + Z straight after the change also undoes it once.
Does an em dash count as one character on X, Instagram and LinkedIn?
Yes. The em dash is a single Unicode character, U+2014, so it counts as one character wherever limits count characters. It’s the hyphen trick (--) that costs two.
How do I replace every em dash in a document?
In Word, open Replace (Ctrl + H), type ^+ in Find what to match every em dash (^= matches en dashes), and type the replacement. For pasted text, the em dash remover on this site swaps them for commas, hyphens, full stops or brackets in one go.