em
lowspecialised (technical/typography), informal/colloquial (pronoun usage), neutral (letter name)
Definition
Meaning
A unit of measurement in typography, equal to the point size of the current font. Originally the width of the capital 'M' in a given typeface.
Informal term for 'them', derived from a phonetic spelling of unstressed pronunciation in casual speech. Also the name of the letter 'M'.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The meaning is highly context-dependent. In technical/design contexts, it refers to a typographic measurement. In casual speech, it's a non-standard contraction of 'them'. When spelling aloud, it's the letter name. The pronoun usage is not accepted in formal writing.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The typographic term is universal. The informal pronoun 'em (as in 'give 'em hell') is common in both varieties, but its frequency in colloquial speech may vary by region. The letter name 'em' for 'M' is standard.
Connotations
The typographic 'em' is neutral and technical. The pronoun ''em' is strongly marked as informal, casual, and often associated with rapid, relaxed speech or certain dialects (e.g., Cockney 'up and at 'em').
Frequency
The typographic term is low-frequency, used only in specific fields. The pronoun ''em' is high-frequency in informal spoken English. The letter name is mid-frequency.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The margin should be [X] ems.I saw 'em [verb phrase] yesterday.The third letter is 'em' (M).Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “up and at 'em”
- “give 'em hell”
- “stick 'em up”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in branding or design discussions (e.g., 'The logo needs 2em of padding').
Academic
Primarily in linguistics (phonetics, dialect studies) for the pronoun, or in design/typography publications for the unit.
Everyday
Common in informal speech as ''em' (pronoun). The letter name 'em' is used when spelling.
Technical
Standard unit in web development (CSS), typography, and graphic design.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- I'm just going to em the text to match the heading.
- (Informal, rare in writing) I'll em and en the dashes later.
American English
- The designer asked me to em out the paragraph.
- (Informal, rare in writing) Go ahead and em the spacing.
adverb
British English
- This is used em-wide in the layout.
- (Non-standard) They ran em fast down the street.
American English
- The column is styled em-deep.
- (Non-standard) He told 'em straight out.
adjective
British English
- The em dash is longer than the en dash.
- Use an em space for the indent.
American English
- The em rule is used for punctuation.
- Set the margin to em measurement.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The letter 'M' is called 'em'.
- I saw 'em at the park.
- In our email, we should add an em space after the comma.
- Tell 'em we'll be there at five.
- The CSS property 'padding' can be defined in ems to create scalable layouts.
- The coach yelled, 'Up and at 'em!' to motivate the team.
- The typographer meticulously adjusted the text to a measure of 30 ems for optimal readability.
- The phonetic reduction of 'them' to 'em' is a common feature of connected speech across many English dialects.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a capital 'M' as being very wide – that width is one 'em'. For the pronoun, remember the apostrophe before 'em' shows letters are missing from 'them'.
Conceptual Metaphor
SPACE/TYPE IS MEASURABLE (typography). SPEECH IS A STREAM WHERE WORDS CAN BE REDUCED (pronoun).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate the typographic 'em' – it's a borrowed technical term (эм).
- The pronoun ''em' is not a separate word; it's just 'them' (их/им). Translating it word-for-word will cause confusion.
- Avoid using ''em' in writing unless imitating very casual speech.
Common Mistakes
- Writing 'em' without an apostrophe when meaning 'them'.
- Confusing 'em' (the unit) with 'en' (half an em).
- Using the typographic 'em' in non-technical contexts where it will not be understood.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'em' considered standard formal English?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. ''em' as a contraction for 'them' is strictly for informal writing that aims to represent casual speech, such as in dialogue or very personal texts. Use 'them' in formal essays.
An em dash (—) is approximately the width of the letter 'M' in the current font and is used for interruptions in thought or parenthetical statements. An en dash (–) is half that width and is typically used for ranges (e.g., 1990–2000) or connections.
In metal type, the size of typefaces was measured by the body, which held the letter. The 'em' was originally the width of the square body that held the capital 'M', which was often the widest letter, making it a convenient standard block.
It is pronounced as a single syllable /ɛm/, rhyming with 'hem'. The vowel is the short 'e' as in 'bed'. The pronunciation is identical for both the typographic term and the pronoun.