By Igor R. · Updated September 2026 Tested on Windows 11, macOS, iOS and Android. Symbol code points follow the Unicode Standard.
The short answer: on a Mac, press Shift + Option + Hyphen for — and Option + ; for …. On Windows, hold Alt and type 0151 (—) or 0133 (…) on the numeric keypad. On a phone or Chromebook, press and hold the hyphen key for the dash — or copy either mark below.
The em dash (—) is the long dash writers use to break up a sentence, add an aside, or stand in for a colon, parentheses, or a comma when they want emphasis. It’s longer than a hyphen (-) and longer than an en dash (–). Its natural companion is the ellipsis (…) — the trailing-off mark, and secretly a single character, not three periods. Below is how to type both on every common device and app — plus how to stop your software from making the wrong dash, and why the one-character ellipsis beats typing three dots.
Quick reference
| Platform | Em dash — | Ellipsis … |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Alt + 0151 (numpad) | Alt + 0133 (numpad) |
| Windows (Word) | 2014, then Alt + X | Type … (auto-converts), or 2026 + Alt + X |
| Mac | Shift + Option + Hyphen | Option + ; |
| iPhone / iPad | Hold the hyphen key, slide to — | No key — copy it, or set a Text Replacement |
| Android (Gboard) | Hold the hyphen key, choose — | Hold the period key, choose … |
| Chromebook | Copy, or Docs → Insert → Special characters | Same, or Ctrl + Shift + U → 2026 |
| Google Docs | Insert → Special characters, “em dash” | Insert → Special characters, “ellipsis” |
| Excel | Alt + 0151, or =UNICHAR(8212) | Alt + 0133, or =UNICHAR(8230) |
| HTML | — / — | … / … |
| Unicode | U+2014 | U+2026 |
How to type an em dash on Windows
- Make sure Num Lock is on.
- Hold the Alt key.
- Type 0151 on the numeric keypad — the number row across the top won’t work.
- Release Alt. You’ll get —.
In Microsoft Word there’s an easier route: type 2014, then press Alt + X, and Word converts it to an em dash. Word also turns two hyphens between words (word–word) into an em dash automatically as you keep typing (see Turn the auto em dash on or off below).
No numeric keypad (most laptops)? The Alt code won’t fire without a numpad. Use the Word Alt + X method above, or copy the dash from the tool at the top. More fixes are in our guide on Alt codes not working.
How to type an em dash on Mac
Press Shift + Option + Hyphen (-) for an em dash. For the shorter en dash, it’s just Option + Hyphen. This works in nearly every Mac app — Pages, Mail, Notes, TextEdit, and browsers included.
How to type an em dash on iPhone and iPad
- Switch to the numbers/symbols keyboard (the 123 key).
- Press and hold the hyphen (-) key.
- A small popup shows – – —. Slide your finger to the longest dash (—) and let go.
How to type an em dash on Android
The same trick works on Gboard and most Android keyboards: press and hold the hyphen (-) key, then pick — from the popup.
How to type an em dash on a Chromebook
ChromeOS has no built-in Alt-code method, so the reliable options are:
- Copy it from the tool at the top of this page and paste anywhere.
- In Google Docs: go to Insert → Special characters and search “em dash”.
- Unicode shortcut: in many text fields you can press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2014, then press Enter or Space. Whether this works depends on the app and ChromeOS version — it fires in some fields and not others.
Em dash in Word, Google Docs, and Excel
- Word: any method above, plus Ctrl + Alt + Minus using the minus key on the numeric keypad.
- Google Docs: go to Insert → Special characters, then type “em dash” or draw it. To make it automatic, add a substitution under Tools → Preferences that replaces
--with —. - Excel: the Alt code works in a cell (Alt + 0151 with Num Lock on). To build it into a formula, =UNICHAR(8212) returns an em dash (UNICHAR is available in Excel 2013 and later). You can also just paste one in.
Em dash on the web (HTML & CSS)
- HTML: use the entity
—(or—). - CSS content: use
"\2014".
Em dash on Linux
In most Linux desktops you can press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2014, then press Enter or Space to insert an em dash. This relies on IBus/GTK input, so it varies by distribution and app — see typing symbols on Linux for the full picture and the Compose-key alternative.
The ellipsis (…) — one character, not three dots
Here’s the thing most people never notice: the ellipsis on this page is a single Unicode character (… U+2026, HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS), not three periods in a row. They usually look alike, but the single character has three practical advantages:
- It never breaks across lines. Three typed periods can split at a line ending — two dots at the end of one line, one at the start of the next. The single character can’t.
- Screen readers announce it once, as “ellipsis,” instead of reading three separate periods. (More on this in how screen readers handle symbols.)
- It counts as one character — which matters in bios, character-limited posts and anywhere you’re counting.
Typing the ellipsis on each platform
- Windows: hold Alt and type 0133 on the numeric keypad.
- Word: just type three periods — AutoCorrect converts … into … automatically. The hex route also works: 2026 then Alt + X. To turn the auto-conversion off (or back on), it lives in File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options — the
...→ … entry is in the Replace-text-as-you-type list. - Mac: press Option + ; (the semicolon key). Works system-wide.
- iPhone / iPad: there’s no ellipsis key on the default keyboard. Copy … from the tool at the top — or, for regular use, go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and map the shortcut
...to the phrase …. From then on, three taps of the period become the real character. - Android (Gboard): press and hold the period (.) key and pick … from the popup.
- Google Docs: Insert → Special characters, search “ellipsis” — or add a
...→ … substitution under Tools → Preferences. - HTML:
…(or…). - Linux / Chromebook: Ctrl + Shift + U, then 2026, then Enter.
Ellipsis style in one paragraph
Style guides differ on the dots themselves: Chicago sets an ellipsis as three spaced periods ( . . . ) in formal quoted material, while AP treats three unspaced dots as a single unit with a space either side. For everyday and web writing, the single … character is the practical choice — it holds together, reads correctly, and behaves in every app. Whichever you use, use it consistently, and don’t stack it with extra periods (no “….”).
Spacing and style: should there be spaces around an em dash?
Both styles are correct — pick one and stay consistent:
- Chicago Manual of Style: no spaces — word—word.
- AP Stylebook: a space on each side — word — word.
Most books and formal writing follow Chicago (closed); most news and web copy follow AP (spaced).
When to use each mark (examples)
| Purpose | Mark | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sudden break | — | “I was going to call you back — but then the power went out.” |
| Emphasis, in place of parentheses | — | “Her plan — bold as it was — worked.” |
| In place of a colon | — | “There was only one thing left to do — leave.” |
| Trailing off | … | “I just thought maybe…” |
| Omitted words in a quote | … | “The committee found … no basis for the claim.” |
| A pause for effect | … | “And the winner is… still counting.” |
Quick rule of thumb:
- Em dash (—) — breaks and asides inside a sentence.
- En dash (–) — ranges like 9–5 or 2020–2024.
- Hyphen (-) — joining words like well-known.
- Ellipsis (…) — trailing off, pauses, and omissions in quotes.
Turn the auto em dash on or off
- ON in Word: File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options → AutoFormat As You Type, and tick “Hyphens (–) with dash (—)”.
- OFF (handy for code, usernames, or product codes where you want two literal hyphens): un-tick that same box. The
...→ … ellipsis conversion is controlled separately, in the Replace-text-as-you-type list under AutoCorrect Options.
Troubleshooting
- My two hyphens won’t turn into a dash. In Word, enable it under File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options → AutoFormat As You Type, and tick “Hyphens (–) with dash (—)”. It converts after you type the next word.
- Alt + 0151 (or 0133) does nothing. You need the numeric keypad with Num Lock on — the top-row numbers don’t trigger Alt codes. On a laptop, use the Word Alt + X method or copy the mark above.
- My em dash looks like a short hyphen. You likely typed a hyphen (-) or an en dash (–). Copy the one at the top to be sure you’ve got the em dash (U+2014).
- My three periods turned into one character (or won’t). That’s Word’s AutoCorrect for the ellipsis. It’s usually what you want; to change the behavior either way, edit the
...entry under File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options. - My ellipsis split across two lines. Then it’s three typed periods, not the character. Replace them with … (U+2026) — the single character never breaks.
- It shows as a box (▯) or a question mark. That’s a font missing the glyph — rare today for both marks. Copy it from this page and it’ll paste correctly into most apps. More: symbol showing as a box.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I type an em dash on Windows without a numpad?
In Word, type 2014 then press Alt + X. Or copy the em dash from this page and paste it anywhere.
What is the em dash shortcut on a Mac?
Press Shift + Option + Hyphen. For the shorter en dash, press Option + Hyphen, and for an ellipsis press Option + semicolon.
How do you type an ellipsis (…) on a keyboard?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 0133 on the numeric keypad. On a Mac, press Option + semicolon. In Word, typing three periods converts automatically into the single ellipsis character. On Gboard, press and hold the period key; on iPhone, copy it or set a Text Replacement for three periods.
Should I use the ellipsis character … or three periods?
Use the single character … (U+2026) in everyday and web writing: it never breaks across a line ending, screen readers announce it once as “ellipsis,” and it counts as one character. Formal style guides like Chicago set spaced periods in quoted material, so follow your style guide for print work.
How do I type an em dash on my iPhone?
Switch to the numbers and symbols keyboard, press and hold the hyphen key, then slide to the longest dash and release.
What is the difference between an em dash and an en dash?
Use the em dash (—) for breaks in a sentence and the en dash (–) for ranges such as 9–5 or 2020–2024.
Recap
Fastest of all: copy either mark from the tool at the top. Otherwise — Shift + Option + Hyphen and Option + ; on Mac, Alt + 0151 and Alt + 0133 on the Windows numpad, — and … on the web. And when you want dots that behave, use the one-character ellipsis.
Written by Igor R.. Tested on Windows 11, macOS, iOS, and Android. Last updated September 2026. The em dash is U+2014 and the ellipsis is U+2026 in the Unicode Standard.