[Grammar] that is not much of a problem—it just hurts a lot.

[Matthew Wai]

Hold down the ALT key and type 0151 —
(ALT + 0150 gives you an en-dash) –

My Windows display language and keyboard layout are 'English (United States)' and 'US' respectively, but the above does not work at my end—nothing happens at all.

 

[emsr2d2]

º¡∞¡

Lol - I don't know what the rest of you see above, but that's what I get if I hold down ALT and type those numbers. I'm on a MacBook though - don't know if your instructions were for a PC, Barb.

 

[tzfujimino]

º¡∞¡

:?:

:lol:

 

[Matthew Wai]

I'm on a MacBook

Mac users use these shortcuts:*
● Em dash (—): Shift-Alt-hyphen or Command + M
● En dash (–): Alt-hyphen

Source: http://www.techtoolsforwriters.com/how-to-create-an-em-dash/

 

[GoesStation]

My Windows display language and keyboard layout are 'English (United States)' and 'US' respectively, but the above does not work at my end—nothing happens at all.

You have to type the numbers on a numeric keypad. If you're using a laptop that doesn't have one, you can turn on its "NmLk" feature to turn some of its letter keys into a numeric keypad. You probably won't like this option.

 

[emsr2d2]

Aha! Shift + Alt + hyphen works—thanks! Mind you, that still looks really weird to me without a space at each end. It looks like I've messed up a hyphenated word!

I'll probably carry on using the hyphen for an en-dash though. They're almost indistinguishable on-screen.

 

[Matthew Wai]

You have to type the numbers on a numeric keypad. If you're using a laptop that doesn't have one, you can turn on its "NmLk" feature to turn some of its letter keys into a numeric keypad. You probably won't like this option.

I am using a USB mini-keyboard similar to this one, and the 'Num Lock' key cannot do what you said. I don't know why.

PS My keyboard was made in China. Perhaps that's the problem.

 

[GoesStation]

I am using a USB mini-keyboard similar to this one, and the 'Num Lock' key cannot do what you said. I don't know why.

Piscean's pertinent observation notwithstanding, the keyboard in the picture is meant to have a way to be put into NumLock mode. I can tell that from the faint numerals next to the main labels on the 7, 8, 9, and 0 keys and those below them. Maybe your driver doesn't support this though.

 

[Tdol]

I am using a USB mini-keyboard similar to this one, and the 'Num Lock' key cannot do what you said. I don't know why.

PS My keyboard was made in China. Perhaps that's the problem.

I am using a notepad today with a similar keyboard and can't get it to work either.