Hyphen Symbol ‐
The hyphen symbol (-) is a versatile punctuation mark with various applications in language, mathematics, and typography. It serves multiple purposes, aiding in clarity, compound word formation, numerical expressions, and more.
Compound Words and Word Formation
In language, the hyphen plays a crucial role in creating compound words. It connects words to form a single concept or compound modifier, enhancing readability and indicating a cohesive relationship between the joined words. For instance, "well-known," "mother-in-law," and "high-speed" are compound words joined by hyphens.
Numerical Expressions and Ranges
In numerical expressions, the hyphen denotes ranges or intervals. For example, "pages 10-15" signifies pages ten through fifteen. It's also used to connect numbers when indicating a range, such as "the years 1990-2000."
Word Division and Line Breaks
Typographically, the hyphen assists in word division at the end of a line when a word cannot fit entirely. It aids in maintaining readability by breaking words across lines in a manner that doesn't disrupt understanding. However, note that there's a difference between hyphens used for word division and other types of dashes.
Clarity in Writing
The hyphen helps avoid ambiguity in sentences. It clarifies meanings, such as in "recover" vs. "re-cover" or "re-sign" vs. "resign," where the placement of the hyphen changes the intended interpretation.
Mathematical and Technical Usage
In technical contexts or mathematics, the hyphen might represent subtraction, as in "6 - 3 = 3." However, it's important to note that mathematical contexts often use the en dash (–) or em dash (—) for different purposes.
The hyphen symbol (-) serves as a versatile punctuation mark, aiding in word formation, numerical expressions, clarity in writing, and technical contexts. Its usage spans across various linguistic and typographic applications, contributing to the precision and comprehension of text and expressions.
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Hyphen Symbol Information
| Symbol Name | Hyphen |
| Unicode Version | 1.1 (June 1993) |
| Unicode | U+2010 |
| CSS Code | \2010 |
| HTML Entity | ‐ |
| Hex Code | ‐ |
| HTML Code | ‐ |
Hyphen Symbol Encoding
| UTF-8 | 0xE2 0x80 0x90 |
| UTF-16 | 0x2010 |
| UTF-32 | 0x00002010 |
Table of contents
Hyphen symbol's PNG and SVG files
How to add hyphen symbol via keyboard on different Operating systems
You can type the hyphen on most modern devices with the help of following methods:
How to type hyphen symbol on Microsoft Word
You can type the hyphen on microsoft Microsoft Word using steps mentioned below:
- Place your cursor in the text area where you need to insert the symbol and type 2 0 1 0
- Without moving the cursor press keys Alt + x together
- The original 2 0 1 0 is now transformed into ‐
How to type hyphen symbol on Microsoft Windows
You can type the hyphen on Microsoft windows using following steps:
- Hold Alt and press to type hyphen on your windows machine.
How to type hyphen symbol on Mac OS
You can type the hyphen on Mac OS using following steps:
- Place your cursor in the text area where you need to insert the symbol
- Press Ctrl + ⌘ Command + ⎵ Space to bring up the Character Viewer. Alternatively, choose Edit ⇒ Emoji & Symbols
- Type “Hyphen” in the search field at the top and press Enter
- The symbol should appear. Click on it to insert it into your text
How to type hyphen symbol on Linux
You can type the hyphen on Linux using following steps:
- Place your cursor in the text area where you need to insert the symbol
- Hold ⇧ Shift + Ctrl and press the letter + U
- Press keys 2 0 1 0 consecutively
- And then press ↵ Enter , the desired symbol will be added to your document
How to type hyphen symbol on IOS and Android
The easiest way to type the hyphen on ios and android is to copy and paste it wherever you need it.
How to use hyphen in CSS
span {
content: "\2010";
}
How to type hyphen in HTML
<span>‐</span>
Hyphen symbol representation in programming languages
hyphen's representation in different programming languages can be found in table below:
| Language | Representation |
| Rust | \u{2010} |
| Ruby | \u{2010} |
| Python | \u2010 |
| PHP | \u{2010} |
| Perl | "\x{2010}" |
| Java | \u2010 |
| Modern JavaScript - Since ES6 | \u{2010} |
| JavaScript | \u2010 |
| Go | \u2010 |
| C# | \u2010 |
| C and C++ | \u2010 |
| Bash and Zsh - inside echo -e | \u2010 |
| RFC 5137 | \u'2010' |