diff --git a/wp-includes/formatting.php b/wp-includes/formatting.php
index a36129767f..3086a092e8 100644
--- a/wp-includes/formatting.php
+++ b/wp-includes/formatting.php
@@ -79,8 +79,8 @@ function wptexturize($text) {
 			$cockney = $cockneyreplace = array();
 		}
 
-		$static_characters = array_merge( array( '---', ' -- ', '--', ' - ', 'xn–', '...', '``', '\'\'', ' (tm)' ), $cockney );
-		$static_replacements = array_merge( array( $em_dash, ' ' . $em_dash . ' ', $en_dash, ' ' . $en_dash . ' ', 'xn--', '…', $opening_quote, $closing_quote, ' ™' ), $cockneyreplace );
+		$static_characters = array_merge( array( '---', '...', '``', '\'\'', ' (tm)' ), $cockney );
+		$static_replacements = array_merge( array( $em_dash, '…', $opening_quote, $closing_quote, ' ™' ), $cockneyreplace );
 
 		$spaces = wp_spaces_regexp();
 
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@ function wptexturize($text) {
 			$dynamic[ '/\'(?=\Z|\.|' . $spaces . ')/' ] = $closing_single_quote;
 		}
 
+		// Dashes and spaces
+		$dynamic[ '/(?<=' . $spaces . ')--(?=' . $spaces . ')/' ] = $em_dash;
+		$dynamic[ '/(?<!xn)--/' ] = $en_dash;
+		$dynamic[ '/(?<=' . $spaces . ')-(?=' . $spaces . ')/' ] = $en_dash;
+
 		$dynamic_characters = array_keys( $dynamic );
 		$dynamic_replacements = array_values( $dynamic );
 	}