Can't type an em-dash (Word for Mac)

Anonymous
2024-03-11T22:29:15+00:00

I'm running Office on a 2021 iMac, OS 14.4. Ever since updating from 16.82 to 16.83, I can't type an em-dash. I get what looks like a hyphen, but if I copy/paste to another app, it shows as blank.

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Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For education | MacOS

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Bob Jones AKA CyberTaz MVP 437.7K Reputation points
2024-03-23T00:25:45+00:00

RE: Unfortunately, the keyboard shortcut in Help seems to missing a modifier key. It's something+Shift+Home.

The missing symbol in Word Help is ⌘.

To select from current position to beginning:

  • On a full keyboard: Shift+Command+Home
  • On compact keyboards: fn+Shift+Command+←

To deselect & remain at the insertion point press →

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-03-13T20:58:32+00:00

    Select the Em Dash in the Commands list

    Click in the Press new keyboard shortcut field & do exactly that.

    I am trying to solve the same problem. This solution fails, because the shift-alt-minus combination does not register in the new-keyboard-shortcut field. I was able to define it as alt-cmd-minus, but this screws with habits that I've had for years.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-03-13T20:30:55+00:00

    24031120 is the one I have, alas.

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  3. Bob Jones AKA CyberTaz MVP 437.7K Reputation points
    2024-03-13T19:59:59+00:00

    A more recent release of 16.83 [24031120] has been published. It appears to have restored the Control+Option+➖ shortcut. See whether that corrects it for you.

    I can't be sure but it seems that one of the previous updates reset the shortcut to Control+Option+[NumPad]➖ which killed it on laptops since they have no Numeric Keypad.

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  4. Charles Kenyon 171.1K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2024-03-13T05:14:28+00:00

    You do not want to be using a Beta release to get work done.

    These are pre-release because they often have bugs.

    I am a Windows user.

    Someone on the Mac will respond and tell you how to roll back to an earlier release.

    Look for a response from someone with an MVP tag.

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