em space

== English == === Noun === em space (plural em spaces) (typography) A space which has a nominal width of 1 em. Synonyms: em quad, mutton quad, quad Coordinate terms: en space, no-break space, thick space, thin space, word space, zero-width space ==== Usage notes ==== The em quad and the em space are usually synonymous as they both start as a space with a width of 1 em. However, in electronic publishing a few contrast the two by holding that if the font is condensed or expanded to alter the width of the characters, the em quad remains 1 em in width, while the em space is altered in width to the same proportion as the printing characters. ==== Related terms ==== em dash em quad