English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
noun

em

EHM
noun
1
A typographic unit of measurement equal to the point size of the current font, used to size text and spacing.
"The designer set the line height to 1.5 em."
2
The name of the letter M.
"He drew a large em on the whiteboard to start the diagram."
interjection
1
A filler sound expressing hesitation, similar to "um" or "er".
""Em... I'm not sure," she said, stalling for time."

How to Use Em

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMost commonly seen today as a unit in web and print design (like the "em dash" or font sizing in "em" units), or as a hesitation sound in speech.

Easily confused with

Word Forms

eir adjective, ems plural, ems plural

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “em” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The designer set the line height to 1.5 _____.

Rhymes for em

See all rhymes for em →
Definitions: FreeDict original editorial