Microsoft just made em dashes easier in Windows 11 — Forget AI critics claiming it’s become synonymous with ChatGPT-generated content

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I write news stories for a living, and I’m always experimenting with different writing styles. Lately, I’ve been using a lot of em dashes in my work.

I’ve seen a lot of posts online saying that em dashes—those long dashes—automatically mean something was written by AI like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot. But that’s completely false.

I mostly use em dashes to connect ideas about the same subject, even if those ideas aren’t directly related. They’re also helpful for adding extra detail or creating a pause in the text.

Let’s be honest, making the em dash on a Windows computer isn’t simple. I usually just copy and paste it instead of trying to use the ALT + 0151 shortcut. Plus, that shortcut only works if your Windows laptop actually has a number pad.

As a researcher following Windows updates, I’m excited to share that Microsoft is making it much easier to type em dashes! Jen Gentleman from the Windows engineering team just announced a new keyboard shortcut being rolled out with the latest Windows 11 Preview update (KB5065789, builds 26200.6725 and 26100.6725). This means you’ll soon be able to directly insert an em dash while typing, which is a feature many users have been requesting.

We’ve added keyboard shortcuts to make inserting dashes easier! Now you can quickly type an en dash (–) or em dash (—) while you’re writing. Just press the Windows logo key + the minus (-) key for an en dash, or Windows logo key + Shift + minus (-) for an em dash. Note: If you’re using the Magnifier tool, pressing Windows logo key + minus (-) will zoom out instead of inserting a dash.

Microsoft

According to our news writer and apps editor, Sean Endicott:

ChatGPT and similar AI models use em dashes a lot – perhaps even more than people do in writing. However, these models didn’t create this punctuation mark. The em dash has a long history, appearing in classic literature for centuries, and ChatGPT likely learned to use it frequently from the vast amount of text it was trained on.

This is a great improvement that will simplify my work, and the work of others who regularly use em dashes in their writing.

FAQ

What is an em dash?

An em dash (—) is a long dash that can be used to highlight words, add extra information, or replace punctuation like commas, colons, or parentheses to create a strong impact.

Why are em dashes important?

Writers and editors love using them because they make sentences flow better, highlight important points, and give more options for expression—ultimately making writing more interesting.

How were em dashes typed before in Windows?

In the past, getting special characters was a hassle. People had to use awkward methods like Alt codes, copy and paste, or dig through special character menus, which took a lot of time and effort.

What does the new Windows 11 update change?

Microsoft has simplified typing em dashes—those long dashes—so you can now type them directly without needing to remember special codes or keyboard shortcuts. This is part of a larger effort to make common writing tools more user-friendly.

Why are em dashes linked to AI writing?

Some people point out that AI writing tools, like ChatGPT, use em dashes too often, which can give away that the text wasn’t written by a human. However, em dashes have actually been a common part of writing for hundreds of years – these tools are just making them easier to use.

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2025-10-23 00:13