Em Dash Detector

The only dash that matters.

The Three Dashes

- Hyphen U+002D
En Dash U+2013
Em Dash U+2014

Why Does This Exist?

The em dash (—) has become something of a meme in AI detection. Large language models really love em dashes — they use them constantly — sometimes multiple times in a single sentence — like this.

Most humans typing casually use hyphens (-) because em dashes require special keyboard shortcuts. When you see proper em dashes in casual text, it might be a hint that AI was involved.

Disclaimer

This is not a reliable AI detector. Plenty of humans use em dashes (writers, editors, typography nerds). And AI can be prompted to avoid them. This tool is mostly a joke — but a useful one when you're squinting at a dash wondering "is that long enough to be suspicious?"

Further Reading