Punctuation and Typography Marks
Quotation marks that curl the right way, an em dash instead of a hyphen, an ellipsis that does not wrap awkwardly across a line break: none of this sits on a standard keyboard, but all of it separates typeset text from a plain text file.
Word and most publishing software apply smart quotes and dashes automatically, which is why many writers never learn these codes directly. Anyone working outside that autocorrect, in code, in plain text editors, or in software that turns smart punctuation off, needs the Alt code or entity directly.
Questions
What is the Alt code for an em dash?
Alt+0151. The shorter en dash is Alt+0150.
How do I type curly quotation marks directly?
The left double quote is Alt+0147, the right double quote is Alt+0148. Single curly quotes are Alt+0145 and Alt+0146.
Why does my em dash turn into a hyphen sometimes?
Plain text editors and some form fields strip smart punctuation automatically. Typing the Alt code or pasting the character directly avoids that.
What is the Alt code for an ellipsis?
Alt+0133. Typing three separate periods works too, but the single ellipsis character keeps its dots evenly spaced no matter the font.
Why do typewriter apostrophes look different from curly ones?
A typewriter or straight apostrophe is a plain vertical mark from the basic ASCII range. A curly apostrophe is a separate character, angled to match printed typography, and needs its own code or entity to type directly.