En Dash
U+2013General Punctuation
Also known as short dashn-dashrange dashndashen rule
Copy and paste –. The En Dash character has Unicode code point U+2013 and decimal HTML code –.
Symbol codes
- Unicode
U+2013- Alt Code
Alt+0150- HTML Code
–- CSS Code
\2013- HTML Entity
–- HEX Code
–
Technical properties
Unicode 18.0.0
- Code point
- U+2013
- Decimal
- 8211
- Unicode name
- EN DASH
- Block
- General Punctuation · U+2000–U+206F
- General category
- Dash Punctuation (Pd)
- Script
- Common
- Introduced
- Unicode 1.1
- JavaScript
- "\u2013"
Appears in
About En Dash
The en dash is a punctuation mark commonly used between the endpoints of a range and, in some styles, between paired or related terms.
– is encoded in Unicode as code point U+2013 (decimal 8211). Its official Unicode name is EN DASH.
It belongs to the General Punctuation block (U+2000–U+206F), its General Category is Dash Punctuation (Pd), and it was added in Unicode 1.1, released in 1993. Its script value is Common: it is shared across writing systems rather than belonging to one.
Common uses
- Joining the endpoints of a number or date range
- Linking paired names or related terms in styles that call for an en dash
Examples
- Page range
- pages 10–18
- Date range
- 2025–2026
Sources: Unicode Character Database 18.0.0, the HTML Standard’s list of named character references, and Unicode’s code page mappings.
How to type or insert En Dash
- Any device
- Select Copy symbol, then paste with Ctrl+V, or ⌘+V on a Mac.
- Windows Alt code
- With Num Lock on, hold Alt, type 0150 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.
- Microsoft Word
- Press Ctrl+− (numeric keypad), or type
2013, then press Alt+X. - Mac keyboard
- Option+- on the U.S. keyboard layout.
- macOS Character Viewer
- Press Control+⌘+Space and search for “en dash”.
- iPhone keyboard
- On the numbers and symbols keyboard, touch and hold -, then slide to –.
- Linux (GTK and IBus)
- Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type
2013, then press Space. - HTML
–or–. In a UTF-8 page you can also paste the character itself.- CSS
content: "\2013";in a::beforeor::afterrule.- JavaScript
"\u2013"
Common questions about En Dash
What is the En Dash symbol?
The en dash is a punctuation mark commonly used between the endpoints of a range and, in some styles, between paired or related terms. In Unicode it is U+2013, officially named EN DASH. It is also known as short dash, n-dash, range dash, and ndash.
When should I use an en dash instead of a hyphen?
Use an en dash for ranges of numbers, dates, or times, such as pages 10–18 or 9:00–17:00, and in many styles to link two equal terms, as in the London–Paris train. Use a hyphen to join words into a compound, such as well-known.
How do I copy and paste the En Dash symbol?
Select Copy symbol at the top of this page, then paste with Ctrl+V on Windows and Linux or ⌘+V on a Mac. On a phone, tap Copy symbol, then touch and hold where you want it and choose Paste. – pastes as ordinary text, so it works in documents, messages, and code.
How do I type the En Dash symbol on Windows?
Turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, type 0150 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. In Microsoft Word, press Ctrl+− (numeric keypad). You can also type 2013 and press Alt+X. In any app, open Character Map from the Start menu, search for “en dash”, then select and copy the character.
How do I type the En Dash symbol on a Mac?
Press Option+- (U.S. keyboard layout). Press Control+⌘+Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “en dash”, and double-click the result to insert it.
How do I type the En Dash symbol on an iPhone or Android phone?
On an iPhone, open the numbers and symbols keyboard, touch and hold -, then slide to –. The simplest way is to copy it from this page and paste it where you need it. If you use it often, save it as a text shortcut: on iPhone, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement; with Gboard on Android, go to Gboard settings > Dictionary > Personal dictionary.
Can I use the En Dash symbol in Word, Google Docs, and social media?
Yes. – is a standard Unicode character, so you can paste it into Microsoft Word, Google Docs, emails, and posts or bios on Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok. In Google Docs you can also choose Insert > Special characters and search for “en dash”. In Word, choose Insert > Symbol > More Symbols, set from to Unicode (hex), and enter 2013 as the character code.
Is the En Dash symbol an emoji?
No. – is a text symbol, not an emoji. It takes the color and size of the surrounding text, and its exact shape depends on the font.
Why does the En Dash symbol show as a box or question mark?
An empty box or a question mark means the font on that device has no glyph for –. The character is still there: it appears correctly wherever a font covers Unicode’s General Punctuation block, and free font families such as Google Noto cover nearly all of Unicode.
What are the HTML and CSS codes for the En Dash symbol?
In HTML, write – (decimal) or – (hexadecimal), or the named entity –. In CSS, use content: "\2013"; in a ::before or ::after rule, and in JavaScript "\u2013". See all HTML codes.