Em Dash
The em dash sets off a strong break in a sentence. It is the width of a capital M. Some house styles avoid it entirely and prefer a comma or a set of parentheses. — is the em dash, assigned to Unicode code point U+2014. Because it is a real text character rather than an image, it survives copy and paste into documents, chat apps, spreadsheets and source code. Copy it with one click below, or grab the exact HTML entity, CSS escape and JavaScript string for your project.
| Symbol | — | |
|---|---|---|
| Unicode | U+2014 | |
| Name | Em Dash | |
| HTML (named) | — | |
| HTML (decimal) | — | |
| HTML (hex) | — | |
| CSS content | \2014 | |
| JavaScript / JSON | \u2014 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | 0xE2 0x80 0x94 | |
| UTF-16 units | 0x2014 | |
| Windows alt code | Alt 0151 |
How to type the em dash symbol
- Copy and paste: click the — at the top of this page, then paste with Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (Mac). This is the fastest route on any device.
- Windows alt code: hold Alt and type
0151on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. - HTML: write
—or the named entity—in your markup. - CSS: use
content: "\2014"in a::beforeor::afterrule. - JavaScript: the escape
\u2014produces this character in a string.
Frequently asked questions
How do I copy the em dash symbol?
Click the — above or the copy button and it is placed on your clipboard. Paste it anywhere with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V. It is a real text character, so it works in documents, chats and code.
What is the Unicode code point for em dash?
The em dash has the Unicode code point U+2014. In HTML you can write it as — or —, or with the named entity —.
What is the alt code for the em dash symbol?
On Windows, hold the Alt key and type Alt 0151 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. Copying the — from this page is quicker and works on any device.
Does the em dash symbol work everywhere?
In almost every modern app and font, yes. If a font does not include this glyph you may see a placeholder box, but the underlying character U+2014 is still correct and will render in a font that supports it.
Related symbols
Browse the full punctuation symbols hub, or return to the searchable symbol grid.