how do i get a long dash in word?

G

Guest

Sometimes in documents you see a long dash ( more than just a single -) HOw
is that created. It must be a keystroke sequence. Can anyone help?

Thanks
 
J

Jezebel

En- and em-dashes are normally predefined as autocorrect entries. Or use
character sequences ALT-0151 and ALT-0150 respectively.
 
J

Joe McGuire

You can also set Word up to convert two hyphens (--) to a dash. Go to
Tools, AutoCorrect Options, and select the tab Autoformat as You Type. In
the section Replace as You Type insert a check mark for Hyphens (--) with
Dash). Repeat this procedure, but use the tab AutoFormat. Henceforth
whenever you type two hyphens (--) you will get a long dash. The conversion
is not immediate but happens when you type the next word and ujse the space
bar or punctuation. (I have no idea why there are two separate settings for
this--AutoFormat and Autoformat as You Type--and I am not 100% positive that
you need to make the same settings in both; no doubt there is a reason and
somebody deep inside Microsoft knows why.)
 
G

Guest

It's probably not the most correct way to do it, but if you type in word
<space> the dash <space> another word then <space> again, it will change the
short dash to a long one.

For example, try keying this in word:
test<spacebar><dash><spacebar>one<spacebar>

That last spacebar will trigger the change from a short dash to a long one.
Kind of tedious, but it works.
 
G

Guest

In Word 02, 03 you can use either Ctrl+minus (numeric keypad) to create an
'en dash' or include the Alt key to get an 'em dash'. I believe earlier
versions were the same.

You can go to Help or Insert>Symbol>Special Characters to check further.

HTH |:>)
 
G

Guest

bYou can manually type one in my holding down the ALT key and keying in 0151
on the number pad on your keyboard. This creates an em dash. For an en dash,
use 0150. You may also want to set up an Autocorrect entry for this.

Alternately, you can choose Autocorrect options from the Tools menu and on
the "Autoformat as you type" tab, check off the option for Hyphens (--) with
dash, if it is not already checked off.

Brian
 
G

Guest

I don't know if you have to change a setting somewhere or not, but in my Word
it has always automatically changed two sequential dashes to an EN-dash as
soon as you press space after the next following word.

e.g. "-- an " will "automagically" become "– an "

Note that this does not work if you put the dashes at the beginning of a
line, where they will be converted into a bullet when you press Enter at the
end of the paragraph ... and open a bullet for the next paragraph.

The same sort of thing does NOT happen with three dashes, BUT you can make
three dashes convert by adding that into the Auto Correct Options ...

· Click on Tools, then on Auto Correct Options [or Alt T A].
· Click in the Replace box then type "---"
· Click in the With box then hold down the Alt key and press 0151 on the
numeric keypad to get an EM-dash —

Once you start to enter in the With box, the Add button below should become
highlighted ... press it to add the conversion to the table below.

Brian
 

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