If all else fails, copy and paste the dash from another document, such as this page. The em dash, which is used to break up sentences in a similar way to parentheses, can be made by holding down the “Control” and “Alt” keys, and pressing the dash key.

If that approach doesn't suit your needs, try one of three manual methods. I recently switched to Word 2016 for Mac, and at first that shortcut worked. This will insert the em dash symbol into your Word document. Even though I had MS Word I (have to) use it at work and got used to the feature in Auto Correct where you type in two hypens "--" and it replaces them with a long dash, an em dash, I think it's called. There are three grammatical tools that every writer should master to look like a pro. Go to: Tools>AutoCorrect Options>AutoFormat As You Type> and check the box beside “Hypens (–) with dash (—)” This will convert double hyphens to em-dashes. These are the dash, apostrophe, and ellipsis. If I have to create an em dash on my compact laptop, and I'm not working in software that automatically translates two dashes into an em dash (Word, Scrivener, and Google Docs will do this), I'll do one of two things: insert the two dashes in place of an em dash and do a find and replace later, or plug in an external keyboard that will allow me to use Alt codes.
Autoformat converts some hyphens to long dashes in Word. When you need more of a separation between words and phrases, though, you’ll need either an en dash or an em dash, depending on the context. Depending on the type of work you do on your Mac, an em dash may be a symbol you need frequently or rarely at all. It will also convert “space-hyphen-space” into “space-en dash-space” as you type. Command (⌘) + M. Type this sign on Mac, press and hold the Command (⌘) key and the hit the M key. (Press Ctrl-C, or ⌘-C on a Mac); In your Word document, place the text cursor where you'd like the dash to go, and paste it. Highlight the dash you want to insert:; Em dash: — En dash: – Copy it. Only one question. This wikiHow teaches you how to create different kinds of lines in Microsoft Word on a Windows or Mac computer. Suddenly it … If I wish to make a margin-to-margin solid line, I used to be able to type a few dashes ( ----- ) then press Enter/Return, and they would convert. When you need an em dash, you can let Word enter it for you the easy way. When you insert hyphens in text in Microsoft Word, some of the hyphens are converted into long dashes (also called en dashes).
If you’re using a mac, hold down the “Option” key and press dash to make an en dash. Em Dash vs. En Dash. As with many symbols, there are two ways to get an em dash, or its shorter cousin the en dash, to appear on a page: by using a keyboard shortcut or the Special Character panel. Content provided by Microsoft. How to Insert a Line in Word. Hi there-- I'm new to Pages but been using Mac for decades. In MS Word for Mac, you can convert hyphens to dashes automatically as you type. Em dash shortcut 3 (Mac): If you are on mac, below is a shortcut to help you type the em dash sign in Word.