Copy a hyphen symbol to paste: the keyboard -, the true ‐, the non-breaking ‑, or a long hyphen.
Hyphen Copy and Paste
-Hyphen-minusU+002DReady to copy
20 hyphens and look-alikes. Tap any value to copy it.
20 hyphens and look-alikes. A character and its name both copy the character. A code copies the code.
Character
Name
Code point
Alt code
Option keys
HTML
LaTeX
U+002D. The hyphen of the keyboard, the key right of the zero on the U.S. layout. Unicode calls it hyphen-minus because it is the minus key too. Alt+45 types it, its number in ASCII.
U+2010. A hyphen with no second job: never a minus sign. It is seldom used, since the keyboard types the other one. ‐ in HTML.
U+2011. Unicode records it as U+2010 with a no-break rule: a line of text does not break after it. No Alt code table holds it, and it has no HTML name.
U+00AD. Invisible inside a line. It marks where a word may be broken, and shows as a hyphen only when the break is used there. Alt+0173, ­ in HTML.
U+2013. A dash, wider than any hyphen: the medium length that people call a long hyphen. Alt+0150, Option+- on the U.S. layout, – in HTML, \textendash in LaTeX.
U+2014. The long dash, which may be used in pairs to set off words inside a sentence. Alt+0151, Option+Shift+- on the U.S. layout, — in HTML, \textemdash in LaTeX.
U+2043. For lists: it stands at the head of each item, the job a round dot does elsewhere. ⁃ in HTML.
U+2E40. Two strokes, one above the other. Some dictionaries print it for the hyphens that belong to a word and keep the single one for line breaks. In Unicode since version 7.0 (2014).
U+2027. A raised dot, not a stroke: Unicode's note calls it a visible symbol for the right places to break a word, as in dic·tion·ar·ies.
U+2E1A. A hyphen under two dots. In a dictionary it shows that a plural form's stem vowel takes an umlaut, by the note in the standard.
U+2E17. Two slanted strokes, grown out of the double slash of old print. Unicode notes that Fraktur fonts draw their hyphen with this shape.
U+30A0. The double hyphen of Japanese writing, kept in the Katakana block.
U+058A. The hyphen of the Armenian block; yentamna is the name Unicode records beside it.
U+1400. The hyphen of Canadian syllabics. Unicode cross-references it from the equals sign.
U+1806. Soft in name only: Unicode notes that it is no format control, simply a hyphen for Todo.
U+02D7. A small raised stroke among the modifier letters, cross-referenced in the standard from the keyboard hyphen; phonetics reads it as retracted or backed articulation.
U+2212. The true minus: wider than a hyphen and mostly set a bit higher, level with the bar of the plus sign. − in HTML, \textminus in LaTeX.
U+10EAD. The hyphenation mark of the Yezidi script, added in Unicode 13.0 (2020).
U+2E5D. One slanted stroke, added in Unicode 14.0 (2021).
U+10D6E. The hyphen of the Garay script, in the standard since version 16.0 (2024).
The hyphen sign on the keyboard is -, U+002D, which Unicode names hyphen-minus because it is the minus key as well. Unicode also has a hyphen character with no second job, ‐, and a non-breaking one, ‑.
Read the full guide
Hyphen codes
The ASCII code for the hyphen is 45, so Alt+45 types it with the Alt key. The soft hyphen is Alt+0173 and ­ in HTML. The non-breaking hyphen, U+2011, is in neither table of Alt key codes, and HTML5 has no name for it among its special characters: ‑ writes it.
A long hyphen is a dash
A longer or elongated hyphen is a different special character: the medium en dash –, Alt+0150, or the long em dash —, Alt+0151. On the U.S. keyboard they are Option and the hyphen key, and Option, Shift and the hyphen key.
No superscript hyphen exists; ⁻, U+207B, is the superscript minus.
As a negative sign the keyboard character is Alt+45; the true minus, −, has no Alt code.
A fancy or double hyphen, ⁃ or ⹀, has no key and no Alt code: it is copied as text.
Questions and answers
Where is the hyphen symbol on the keyboard?
On the U.S. layout it is the key to the right of the zero in the number row, pressed without Shift. The character it types is the hyphen-minus, U+002D, which serves as the minus sign too.
What is the Alt code for a hyphen?
Alt+45, its ASCII number, for the keyboard hyphen. A long hyphen is a dash: Alt+0150 types the en dash – and Alt+0151 the em dash —. The soft hyphen is Alt+0173.
What is the Unicode non-breaking hyphen?
U+2011, ‑. Unicode defines it as the hyphen U+2010 with a no-break rule, so the line does not break after it. It has no Alt code and no HTML name.
What is a soft hyphen?
An invisible character, U+00AD, that marks where a word may be broken at the end of a line. It shows as a hyphen only when the break happens there. Unicode also calls it the discretionary hyphen.
What is the difference between a hyphen and a dash?
A hyphen joins words and separates the syllables of one word. Dashes are wider characters: the en dash – and the em dash —. The minus sign − is wider too, and usually drawn a little higher.
All 20 hyphens and look-alikes
Start here 8
⹀Double hyphenU+2E40. Two strokes, one above the other. Some dictionaries print it for the hyphens that belong to a word and keep the single one for line breaks. In Unicode since version 7.0 (2014).
—Em dashU+2014. The long dash, which may be used in pairs to set off words inside a sentence. Alt+0151, Option+Shift+- on the U.S. layout, — in HTML, \textemdash in LaTeX.
–En dashU+2013. A dash, wider than any hyphen: the medium length that people call a long hyphen. Alt+0150, Option+- on the U.S. layout, – in HTML, \textendash in LaTeX.
‐HyphenU+2010. A hyphen with no second job: never a minus sign. It is seldom used, since the keyboard types the other one. ‐ in HTML.
⁃Hyphen bulletU+2043. For lists: it stands at the head of each item, the job a round dot does elsewhere. ⁃ in HTML.
-Hyphen-minusU+002D. The hyphen of the keyboard, the key right of the zero on the U.S. layout. Unicode calls it hyphen-minus because it is the minus key too. Alt+45 types it, its number in ASCII.
‑Non-breaking hyphenU+2011. Unicode records it as U+2010 with a no-break rule: a line of text does not break after it. No Alt code table holds it, and it has no HTML name.
Soft hyphenU+00AD. Invisible inside a line. It marks where a word may be broken, and shows as a hyphen only when the break is used there. Alt+0173, ­ in HTML.
Show all 20 hyphens and look-alikes (12 more)
Hyphens 2
⸚Hyphen with diaeresisU+2E1A. A hyphen under two dots. In a dictionary it shows that a plural form's stem vowel takes an umlaut, by the note in the standard.
‧Hyphenation pointU+2027. A raised dot, not a stroke: Unicode's note calls it a visible symbol for the right places to break a word, as in dic·tion·ar·ies.
Double hyphens 2
⸗Double oblique hyphenU+2E17. Two slanted strokes, grown out of the double slash of old print. Unicode notes that Fraktur fonts draw their hyphen with this shape.
゠Katakana-Hiragana double hyphenU+30A0. The double hyphen of Japanese writing, kept in the Katakana block.
Hyphens of other scripts 3
֊Armenian hyphenU+058A. The hyphen of the Armenian block; yentamna is the name Unicode records beside it.
᐀Canadian syllabics hyphenU+1400. The hyphen of Canadian syllabics. Unicode cross-references it from the equals sign.
᠆Mongolian Todo soft hyphenU+1806. Soft in name only: Unicode notes that it is no format control, simply a hyphen for Todo.
Longer or higher: dashes and minus 2
−Minus signU+2212. The true minus: wider than a hyphen and mostly set a bit higher, level with the bar of the plus sign. − in HTML, \textminus in LaTeX.
˗Modifier letter minus signU+02D7. A small raised stroke among the modifier letters, cross-referenced in the standard from the keyboard hyphen; phonetics reads it as retracted or backed articulation.
Newer, may be an empty box 3
Garay hyphenU+10D6E. The hyphen of the Garay script, in the standard since version 16.0 (2024).
⹝Oblique hyphenU+2E5D. One slanted stroke, added in Unicode 14.0 (2021).
𐺭Yezidi hyphenation markU+10EAD. The hyphenation mark of the Yezidi script, added in Unicode 13.0 (2020).