They are named as such because the en dash is as lon. In todays tutorial, you will learn how to put a long dash in word. A beginners guide to em dashes, en dashes, and hyphens. Ive tested in word 2016 as well which demonstrates the same behavior. For text separated by dashes, em dash, and other separators with spaces around the separator, word count counts the separator as a word. This is the simple page to learn how to type make em dash em dash on your windows keyboard. The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark.
Word senses this as you finished the word following. Find answers to creating em dash in word perfect 10 from the expert community at. Once you let go of alt, it should result in an em dash. How do i insert an em dash via keyboard with nonnumeric one.
If you are using a typewriter, a pair of hyphens is the closest you can get to an em dash. I used to have a mac, which had a keyboard shortcut for inserting em dashes without having to open up the character map or copy and paste from the web. Now, for the trivia folks in the audience who want to know what an en is, from encarta. With a simple trick for touchscreen keyboards, its easy to use the ndash and mdash on a phone or tablet. How to type numbers with the square root symbol using microsoft word. Before discovering this, i used to type in a double dash and then open up the replace function, search for the double dash in the first box what you want to replace, then move to the second box what you want inserted instead, then hit special at the bottom of the page, and insert em dash or en dash, depending on what i wanted. Remove the default shortcut and assign whatever you like. If you want to use en dashes instead of hyphens, insert a space before the hyphen. The use of dashes is inconsistent in lots of writing regardless of how professional the writers are. How to configure a shared network printer in windows 7, 8, or 10 duration. However, the new word created will not divide at the end of a line. The em dash is the length of a lower case letter m and the en dash is the length of the letter n. This is what i use in writing, but i have a slight gap between my en dash and dash to make my em dash.
Microsoft word may already be your way to create business forms, marketing collateral and other communications. Aug 29, 2010 after writing about how the ndash and mdash are used, i thought i should add something about how to insert the ndash and mdash quickly in microsoft word. For more helpful tips like this, sign up for my free newsletter at. Ndash or en dash automatically created in word when you type something something word.
Type a space, type dash dash dash and touch the spacebar. Four ways to insert an em dash in a word document techrepublic. Your post is difficult to read because the em dash looks the same as the hyphen later in the post. Sometimes typing results in an emdash as well, but i assumed that you tried that already. Em dasheswhy writers should use them more sparingly. The instructions for inserting an em dash in word 2007 are on pages 26 27. To assign a different shortcut for em dash, choose the insert symbol option of the words menu, find the em dash and press the shortcut key button. Even if i cant get a true em dash and i have to settle for that would be fine, but so far i cant get the program to accept it. You can have word hyphenate your text automatically as you type your text, or later, in one pass. You can of course create a macro which only types an emdash, but the problem with that or a preestablished key combination in writer like the one in word is that it woudnt work outside of openoffice.
Like the en dash the em dash is not visible on keyboard and must be activated. How to put a long dash in word how to insert a long. After writing about how the ndash and mdash are used, i thought i should add something about how to insert the ndash and mdash quickly in microsoft word microsoft word can create the ndash and mdash automatically while you type. Microsoft word em dash keyboard shortcut the free windows. May 30, 2019 on a windows based system, you can form an em dash on a keyboard by holding down the alt key and typing 0151.
I have yet to see a case where using a hyphen in place of an endash causes confusion, so i dont worry too much about endashes. You can also copy and paste the dashes from another document, such as a web page, into your word document. When using the em dash and the en dash you should not leave any spaces between the punctuation and the next word. Click on the options link in the left navigation pane. Alternatively, you can insert these special characters using the insert symbol menu. Mar 10, 2018 see tips for inserting the ndash or mdash in microsoft word.
On some mac keyboards, the option key is called alt. This is a function that is turned on in toolsautocorrectautocorrectasyoutypea checkbox called strangely symbol characters with symbols i imagine this works on windows machines, as well. If your word document has an em dash or en dash and you want to remove it, do one of the following. Many word processors will automatically insert an em dash when you type a pair of hyphens. Select the automatically hyphenate document check box. Dec 03, 20 an en dash is half the width of an em dash. Inserting an em dash microsoft word word tips tips. May 24, 2011 the em dash isnt easily formed on computersit requires some special keystrokes on both pcs and macsand so i will admit that at least some of my bile comes from, as a copy editor. Find the dash and press it so it will convert the two hyphens into a dash. Im embarassed i cant figure this out myself all help is appreciated. This can create a spacing problems when two long words are connected by a dash.
To insert an endash in your document, hold down the alt key and type 0150 on the numeric keypad. Inserting different dashes microsoft word word ribbon tips. Creating em dash in word perfect 10 solutions experts. If you need a loner dash, type 2014, put the mouse pointer behind the. On my macbased word, typing two hyphens generates an em dash. On a windows based system, you can form an em dash on a keyboard by holding down the alt key and typing 0151. Word will automatically convert the hyphen into an en dash. For android, the em dash is first and the en dash third. Dec 06, 2011 the em dash, which is what many people, like myself are getting frustrated with, when writing, need an em dash, the width of a capital m. In any windows application, you can create an em dash by holding the alt key down and entering 0151 with the numeric keypad. Can i use the endash or emdash in twitter or facebook. Autoformat converts some hyphens to long dashes in word.
May 02, 2006 so an emdash char 0x2014 or an endash char 0x20 become a simple dash 0x02d. I have the latest version of microsoft word, i have checked to make sure that the auto correct option for replace hyphens with dash is check off, yet i still can not create an em dash. I work for an online newswire and frequently work from home. For text separated by an em dash with no spaces, word count counts the em dashed words as one word. Pressing the hyphen key twice and then hitting the space bar works just as well, but since most uses of the em dash eliminate spaces on either side. For text separated by an emdash with no spaces, word count counts the emdashed words as one word. En dash this follows the same size logic as the em dash, in that the en dash is roughly the length of the letter n when typed.
To create the em dash on a macintoshbased system, hold down the shift and option keys and press the minus key, notes techwalla, adding that alternatively, you can press the hyphen key twice and press space. We gathered our supplies all eight truck loads and started slowly up the bypass. In ios, the em dash is the third option while the en dash is second. There are also predicate functions that return true it the character is a single quote, double quote or a dash. Most folks know about the hyphen, but fewer are familiar with the em dash and the en dash. If i remember correctly, in word 2003 and probably others as well, if you are using a full size keyboard, cntrl the dash or minus sign on the number pad does the en dash. To assign a different shortcut for em dash, choose the insert symbol option of the words menu. They are multipurpose, and came in a variety of sizes.
Creating em dash in word perfect 10 solutions experts exchange. If you have the same result after verifying the autocorrect preference please note that here, but also submit a complaint at word for mac. An em dash is the longest in length of the three and is used to show a break in thought. Automatic hyphenation is quicker and easier, although manual hyphenation provides more control. How to insert an en dash or em dash in microsoft word.
In this short video tutorial, microsoft mvp heather ackmann discusses the differences between the hyphen, en dash, and em dash, as well as. The biggest source of confusion comes from using a hyphen where you intend to use an emdashand this happens all the time. How to use the hyphen, en dash and em dash ndash mdash, n. Jan 09, 2020 type in two hyphens, highlight it, and press the box at the top of the screen called symbols. Microsoft word can create the ndash and mdash automatically while you type. I use word office 2011 on a mac and suddenly my em dash stopped working. Ndash or en dash automatically created in word when you type something something wordspacehyphenspaceword. If you want to do the same in scrivener, go to tool, options, corrections, edit substitutions. Enabling num lock, then holding down alt and pressing 0151 on the numeric keypad. Simple keyboard shortcut to make long hyphens em dash in windows is 0151 press the alt key and hold it down while typing 0151 on the windows keyboard. How do i insert an em dash via keyboard with nonnumeric. Highlight the em dash or en dash using your mouse, then press the delete key.
The em dash isnt easily formed on computersit requires some special keystrokes on both pcs and macsand so i will admit that at least some of my bile comes from, as a copy editor. How do i insert an em dash via keyboard with nonnumeric one on a windows laptop. Her article is so overloaded with em dashes that the reader is left dizzy and confused. An em dash may be used to indicate omitted letters in a word redacted to an initial or single letter or to fillet a word, by leaving the start and end letters whilst replacing the middle letters with a dash or dashes for the purposes of censorship or simply data anonymization. The instructions for inserting an em dash in word 2007 are on pages 26. When you need an em dash, you can let word enter it for you the easy way. I have tried using thinspaces on the sides on the em dash by kindle treats even that as one word. Remember that emdashes are used in place of other punctuation to set off information that deserves emphasis. In windows, you can do it quickly with an external keyboard with a number pad. On microsoft word and most other word processing systems, when you put two dashes next to each other, they combine to form an em dash.
Using the autoformat feature in microsoft word, you can create both an em dash and en dash automatically by typing hyphens. There are two similar but distinct punctuation marks called dashes. I dont have my full size keyboard here to try, but if you have one, i am pretty sure this is the combination. Depending on the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons. In word, you can do it even more quickly if you have a number pad, but that requires an external keyboard. Sometimes typing results in an em dash as well, but i assumed that you tried that already. In the word options window, click on proofing in the left navigation. In the hyphenation zone box, enter the amount of space to. Emdashes, often known simply as dashes, get their name from typography. How to enable and disable microsoft word autoformat feature. You can do the same for en dash or other symbols and characters included in your font. For instance, down the roadand a long winding road it wasthey traveled as quickly as possible.
If you use an em dash with most word processing programs, you will consistently run into problems with the dash and surrounding text being treated as single words. Whilst reading novels, you will see the longer em dash used. Word does not replace the two hyphens with a dash like it is supposed to. But that results in really bad line breaks, especially when word is long. Keep in mind that the numbers have to be typed on the num pad though. Turns out the em dash also known as an m dash, mrule, the long dash, or, in the grammatical slang circles, mutton, and i am not making that up is just that extended dash you see when there is a break in narration or conversation. Imagine that last sentence with the emdash replaced with a hyphen. En dash according to wikipedia, the en dash, or n dash, nrule, etc. Keyboard shortcut for long hyphens em dash in windows shortcut key. How to replace hyphens with en dashes though most people dont know or care when told, the correct character to use for a range of numbers is the en dash, not the hyphen. Place the text cursor after the em dash or en dash, then press the backspace key. One is called the en dash and one is called the em dash. However, on most web editorswordpress, twitter, or facebook for examplethose two hyphens dont magically become emdashes.
The en dash is used in ranges, such as 610 years, read as six to ten years. Of course its not just word that we want to support. The em dash, which is what many people, like myself are getting frustrated with, when writing, need an em dash, the width of a capital m. You can also use manual hyphenation to have word make hyphenation suggestions.
It seems to be inserting an en dash regardless of whether you wrap a single or a double hyphen within spaces. Its a littleknown fact that dashes come in different sizes. I suggest you look at some free utilities which you can use to enter an emdash in every windows program. Using em dashes, en dashes and hyphens within indesign. Em dash definition of em dash by the free dictionary. Hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes in microsoft word youtube. The em dash is used to indicate a break or interruption in thought or to separate a sentence from a bullet point. We want to provide reasonable support for arbitrary applications within the limitations of the console host for now so if anyone sees anything we missed, please let me know. The hyphen, em dash and en dash crop up all the time while youre using microsoft word, but most of us dont know why and we use the different dashes inconsistently. To enabledisable the autoformat feature and options in microsoft word, follow the steps below for the version of microsoft word on your computer. When you use autocorrect options, you can also click stop automatically creating dashes, or click control autocorrect options to open the autocorrect dialog box. A paragraph would have done the trick in my mind, but the article certainly makes its point.
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