Typography & fonts

Abstract

This document proposes the Human Em Dash (HED), a Unicode character visually indistinguishable from the traditional em dash (—) but encoded separately for the purpose of indicating probable human authorship. Recent proliferation of automated text generation systems has produced a measurable increase in the frequency and enthusiasm of em dash usage. This trend has created ambiguity for human writers who have historically relied upon the em dash as a stylistic device.

The Human Em Dash standard introduces a new Unicode code point and an associated Human Attestation Mark (HAM) that allows writers to signal that the dash in question originated from a human cognitive process involving hesitation, revision, or mild frustration.