Paused mid-sentence, wondering how to leave something out — in graceful style, not awkwardly? Find out here how to type a true ellipsis character ( … ) on a Mac using a keyboard shortcut ⤓ or text replacement (instead of simply three dots).
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How to Type an Ellipsis ( … ) on a Mac
Using the Mac Ellipsis Keyboard Shortcut
Time needed: 1 minute
To enter an ellipsis character (…) on a Mac using the macOS keyboard
- Position the text cursor where you want to insert the ellipsis.
Where to put it: Spacing around ellipses is a matter of preference.
The AP Stylebook regards the ellipsis as a stand-in for at least one word — and treats it as such, with one whitespace character on either side (except when a punctuation mark follows or precedes it). The Chicago Manual of Style instead opts to handle the ellipsis like the em-dash, as a punctuation mark itself with no space on either side (unlike on this site, for instance). - Press Option ; to insert the ellipse using the U.S.-English keyboard layout.
Other layouts: The same Option ; combination also works for the U.K. English and Dvorak layouts.
International keyboards: You can find the key for your layout using the macOS on-screen keyboard viewer.
Text replacement: You can have macOS insert ellipses automatically; see below.
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Using Automatic Text Replacement
To have macOS replace three dots with an ellipsis automatically:
- Open the Edit menu in the application where you will be typing.
- Select Substitutions | Show Substitutions.
- Check Smart Dashes.
Shortcut: Smart Dashes can also be enabled right in the Substitutions menu.
Context menu: The Substitutions menu is also available when you right-click in the text area.
Standard macOS only: Substitutions are available only for standard macOS text editing; in applications that do their own text editing (such as Firefox, for instance), use direct keyboard input as above. - Type
...(three dots) followed by any other character to have macOS replace them with an ellipsis character (…).
Their word: Apple include information on text replacements in the Mac User Guide.
On a PC? How to enter ellipses using Windows
How to Type an Ellipsis ( … ) on a Mac: FAQ
Can’t I just copy and paste the ellipsis character?
Yes, of course you can.
Here’s an ellipsis (Unicode U+2026) for you to first easily copy and then smartly paste:
Ellipsis … |
Can I input an ellipsis using the Unicode code point?
Yes.
To insert an ellipsis using direct Unicode hex code input on a Mac:
- Add and switch to Unicode Hex Input.
- Press and hold Option.
- Type
2026. - Let go of the Option key.
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(Tested with macOS Tahoe 26.0–26.3, Sequoia 15.0–15.6, Sonoma 14.3, Ventura 13.3, macOS Monterey 12.0, and Big Sur 11.0; first published March 2021, last updated February 2026)