How to Make an EM Dash on a Mac

Create an em dash properly.

An em dash (—) is the correct character to use where you commonly use double hyphens (--). When using dashes to set off text — as in this example — an em dash is the appropriate punctuation. But the em dash is not a standard key on most keyboards. Learning how to make one on your Mac computer is often essential for writers and others who produce text for typesetting or simply want to set information off cleanly.

Instructions

1. Use shortcut keys. The keyboard command for an em dash on a Mac software is "Shift-Option--." Press and hold the "Shift" key, "Option" key and minus key to create the em dash.

2. Use Special Characters palette. In many programs, the fonts include characters that are less commonly used. Pull down the "Edit" menu, then select "Special Characters." Select the "Punctuation" menu to view the options. The em dash is the longest of the dashes shown. Click the em dash to insert it in your text.

3. Set your preferences in Microsoft applications. Microsoft applications share universal preferences, and the "AutoFormat As You Type" option is one of them. Once you set it in Powerpoint, for example, it's also set for Word and Excel. The tab for these options is found in the options settings for the application in which you are working. Select the check box to enable double dashes to become an em dash automatically as you type.

References

• Penn State: Macintosh Accent Codes
• Microsoft: Use Automatic Formatting As You Type

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• GrammarBook.com: Dashes