Where is the dash for 6 on Mac?

When switching from a Windows PC to a Mac, some keys may seem to be in a different location or have an unusual name. This is particularly the case with the hyphen on the 6, a character commonly used in typography and programming. This confusion mainly arises from the differences between AZERTY and QWERTY keyboards, as well as the variations between Apple and PC keyboard models. Here’s how to easily find this key on a MacBook or an Apple keyboard.

Differences between Mac and Windows keyboards

Before precisely locating the hyphen on the 6 on a Mac keyboard, it is important to understand why this question often arises among new macOS users.

1. Key layout

• On a Windows AZERTY keyboard, the hyphen (-) is generally located on the 6 key when no modifier key is used.
• On a Mac AZERTY keyboard, the hyphen is placed directly to the right of the “0” key, and not on the 6 key.

2. Confusion with the underscore (_) and other symbols

• On Windows, the underscore (_) is obtained by holding Shift + 6 on some keyboards.
• On Mac, this combination does not work the same way. The underscore is obtained by pressing Shift + “8” key on an AZERTY keyboard.

See also:

Location of the hyphen on the 6 on a Mac keyboard

Unlike Windows, where we talk about the “hyphen on the 6”, on a Mac AZERTY keyboard, the simple hyphen (-) is found to the right of the 0. You just need to press this key without using any key combination.

If you are using a QWERTY keyboard (English or American), the position of the hyphen remains similar, but other symbols may vary.

To summarize:

• Hyphen (-) on Mac AZERTY → To the right of the 0 (without key combination).
• Underscore (_) on Mac AZERTY → Shift + 8.
• Hyphen (-) on Mac QWERTY → To the right of the 0 as well.

Alternative methods to insert a hyphen on Mac

If you still cannot find the hyphen or if your keyboard has a different layout, several solutions allow you to easily insert it.

1. Using the macOS keyboard viewer

macOS offers an interactive keyboard viewer that allows you to see the key layout in real-time based on your language and configuration.

To activate it:

1. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard.
2. Check the option “Show keyboard and emoji viewers in menu bar”.
3. Click on the keyboard icon at the top right and select “Show Keyboard Viewer”.

2. Using keyboard shortcuts and special characters

Some software allows you to quickly insert a hyphen via specific shortcuts. For example, in word processing, the em dash (—) can be inserted via Option + Shift + –.

If you want to insert a special character, macOS offers a symbol palette accessible by pressing Ctrl + Cmd + Space, then searching for “hyphen” in the search bar.

Additional tips for new Mac users

If you are switching from a Windows PC to a Mac, it may be useful to adjust some settings related to the keyboard layout.

• In System Preferences > Keyboard, check that the selected keyboard type matches your language (AZERTY, QWERTY, BE, CH…).
• If you are using an external keyboard, macOS can automatically detect its layout and offer to adjust it.
• If in doubt, a Bluetooth or USB keyboard compatible with Windows will work on a Mac, but the key layout might be slightly different.

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