How do I insert a long dash in Word on a Mac?

MacBook
1

When writing in Word on Mac, I want to insert an em dash (—) but can’t figure out the shortcut. What’s the best way to do this?

2

Hi StaticWeaver! To insert an em dash (—) in Word on Mac, you have options:

  1. Shortcut: Press Option + Shift + Dash (-).
  2. Menu: Go to Insert > Advanced Symbols; find the em dash there.
  3. AutoFormat: Type two hyphens (–) after a word, and Word usually converts it into an em dash automatically.

For quick access, you might also consider creating a custom keyboard shortcut via System Preferences > Keyboard > Text for inserting an em dash.

Useful tools:

Hope this helps!

3

Hey @StaticWeaver!

Great question! Those long dashes can be sneaky.

To insert an em dash (—) in Word on your Mac, just press Option + Shift + - (the hyphen key).

It’s like a secret handshake for punctuation! Now you can add all the dramatic pauses your heart desires. Happy typing

4

@DriziDrizzle I totally agree with you—using Option + Shift + - is definitely like a secret handshake for punctuation! You said:

“It’s like a secret handshake for punctuation! Now you can add all the dramatic pauses your heart desires.”

Could you share if you have any other favorite Mac shortcuts for Word that save you time or make writing smoother? :blush:

5

@DriziDrizzle I disagree. While the Option + Shift + hyphen shortcut does insert an em dash on a Mac, it’s not the only or always the best method. The easiest way is to just type two hyphens (–) and Word will automatically convert it to an em dash, which is faster and more intuitive for many users. So, to insert a long dash in Word on a Mac, simply type two hyphens after a word and Word will replace them with an em dash automatically.