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Em Dash Symbol (—)
The em dash (—) is the long dash for interruptions and emphasis — like this — typed with Alt+0151 or copied from here.
Em Dash codes
| Code | Value |
|---|---|
| Unicode code point | U+2014 |
| Unicode name | Em Dash |
| HTML named entity | — |
| HTML decimal | — |
| HTML hex | — |
| CSS content code | \2014 |
| JavaScript / JSON | \u2014 |
| Windows Alt code | Alt+0151 |
Em Dash variants (5)
5 related glyphs — click any tile to copy it. Tiles with a page open that symbol's own page.
Meaning & usage
The em dash is the longest of the dashes, traditionally as wide as the letter M. Writers use it to break a sentence with an aside — like this — or to add a punchline ending with real emphasis.
It is not a hyphen (-), which joins words, and not an en dash (–), which spans ranges like 2019–2024. Most keyboards have no key for it, so writers either use their app's shortcut or copy it from a page like this one.
Examples in use
- She finally arrived — two hours late
- The answer — as always — was money
- Pages 12–15 use en dashes; this — is an em dash
How to type the em dash
Windows
Hold the Alt key and type 0151 on the numeric keypad (Num Lock on), then release Alt. The code is Alt+0151. It also works in Word with the same keys.
Mac
Press Option+Shift+hyphen (Mac, US keyboard layout).
iPhone & Android
Most phone keyboards have no built-in key for —. Open this page on your phone, tap Copy, then paste it into your message or bio. (On Android, Gboard's emoji search finds some symbols by name.)
Linux
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 2014 and press Enter (works in most GTK apps and terminals with IBus). Or copy it from this page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I type an em dash on Windows?
Hold Alt and type 0151 on the numeric keypad. In Word, type two hyphens between words and it usually auto-corrects. On a Mac, press Option+Shift+hyphen.
Em dash vs en dash — which do I use?
Use the em dash (—) for sentence breaks and emphasis. Use the en dash (–) for ranges: numbers, dates and scores, like 3–2 or 1990–2000.
Why does — sometimes show as a box or question mark?
The box (called tofu) means the device or font viewing it has no drawing for U+2014 (Em Dash). The character itself is fine — try a different font or a newer device, or use one of the variants on this page.
Is the Em Dash free to use?
Yes. — is a standard Unicode text character published in the Unicode Character Database. You may use it in personal and commercial documents, designs and products without permission or payment.
Related symbols
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Data: Unicode Character Database · Page updated 2026-11-13