Summary
The em dash is a type of punctuation that is used in writing and editing, and it is often used in lieu of a comma, colon, or parenthesis. It is a very helpful punctuation that is also quite stylish.
In spite of the fact that you may like to make use of it in order to make your grammar seem more sophisticated, the symbol on a computer can be quite difficult to reach if you are not familiar with how to do so, particularly on the Windows operating system.
type an em dash in Windows
To your good fortune, there are a few different approaches that may be used to include the em dash punctuation into your writing. Get acquainted with the em dash on your computer by reading the following advice, which will teach you how to get more comfortable with it.
a keyboard
One of the most uncomplicated ways to access punctuation is by using the shortcut for the em dash on the keyboard. It is possible that it may take some time for you to get used to it, but once you have mastered it, you will be an expert in em-dash typing. At the top of the number row on your keyboard, you will find the NumLock key. Pressing this key will activate Number Lock. The next step is to press and hold the Alt key as you input the sequence 0151 on the numeric keypad of your instrument. When the Alt key is released, the em dash will show on the screen.
The alternative numeric keypad that is placed on the U, I, O, J, K, L, and M keys on your keyboard may be used in the event that your keyboard does not have a numeric keypad that is specifically allocated for usage with numbers. This is the situation with many laptops. It is not possible to proceed with this strategy if you use the numbers on the top row of your keyboard. Consequently, if you are experiencing difficulties, this might be the error that you are making.
After you have completed entering the em dash, you must remember to switch off the Number Lock by hitting the NumLock key once again. If you do not do this, the keys that were stated before will continue to display as numbers when you write.
Word from Microsoft
The em-dash keyboard shortcut may be used in any word processor or text box that you want; however, there are several approaches that are exclusive to Microsoft Word. The simplest method enables you to enter Number Lock, after which you may type the em dash by holding down the Ctrl and Alt keys and the minus sign on the numeric keypad.
You also have the option of locating the em dash under the symbol settings of Microsoft. The insert setting may be found in the upper-left corner, and the omega symbol (Ω) can be found in the upper-right corner of the screen. In addition to that symbol, choose more symbols. There are two options available to you: either scroll down until you locate the em dash, or you may choose special characters, with the em dash being the first one shown. After pressing the Enter key, the settings box will be closed. Your content will include the em dash at some point.
At long last, the auto-format tool in Microsoft Word allows you to include an em dash in your document. This enables you to enter an em dash while continuing to compose your content with very little to no stop in between paragraphs. After typing a word, you will need to write two hyphens without spacing between them (the hyphen key is situated between the 0 and the + keys on the top number row of your keyboard), and then you will input another word. Once you have done that, press the spacebar or enter, and Microsoft Word will format the sequence into text with an em dash.
Menu of Start
Additionally, the shortcut for the Microsoft Start Menu is one that may be used in a variety of word processors or across text boxes. Windows operating system has a feature that pulls up the emoji menu, which is an intriguing utility. Simply hit the period key (.) in conjunction with the Windows Start Menu icon that is located on the taskbar.
You could see an omega symbol (Windows 10) or multiple other symbols (Windows 11) in the space between the paste icon and the smiley face, but this will depend on the version of your operating system that you are using. Once you have selected the icon, you will be sent to a table that contains symbols. To introduce the em dash into your software, scroll down until you locate it in the General Punctuation section, then pick it and shut down the settings on your computer.
The search engine
It is possible that after examining all of the other techniques for typing with an em dash, this one may seem to be a little laborious. Whatever the case may be, you may search for the keyword “em dash” using the search engine of your choice, copy the symbol, and then paste it into the text box or word processor of your choice.
A definition of the em dash, which contains the appropriate symbol enclosed in parentheses, will often be the principal result of a search operation. Regarding the Microsoft Edge web browser, this is the situation. In a text, an em dash is not often used very frequently, but if you find yourself in need of one, you may copy and paste it from the punctuation that you copied in the first place.
