Hyphen ‐
‐ (U+2010) is a standard Unicode character that you can copy and paste anywhere text is accepted. This page provides a concise reference with safe tips, internal links, and practical guidance so you can use it reliably across apps and platforms.
What it is and where it’s used: Hyphen is part of the Symbols family (block: General Punctuation). If you need styled or decorative alternatives, try our Fancy Text tool to generate compatible text that works in most modern interfaces.
History & usage: The character U+2010 is the HYPHEN. It belongs to the General Punctuation block and the Common script. It is a punctuation mark that structures text and conveys tone. Its use varies. Usage conventions differ by style and locale. In some styles, the hyphen links words and parts of words. In other styles, it may be replaced by a dash or removed. Writers choose hyphens to avoid ambiguity and to show related terms. The hyphen can join numbers, prefixes, or compound terms when a space would be awkward. It can indicate word breaks in narrow columns or at line ends. If you follow a rule set, stay consistent. The hyphen's role changes with punctuation rules and context. Some styles prefer minimal hyphen use, others use it more often. For readers, the hyphen helps connect ideas and calm reading pace. Remember the codepoint and name: HYPHEN, U+2010. It signals a small pause and a joined idea in text.
Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+2010 in many development tools or editors. Some operating systems provide a character viewer or input palette that lets you search by name or code and insert the glyph into documents.
Display and fallback: if you see an empty box (tofu) or a placeholder rectangle, the active font might not include this codepoint. Switching to a font with broader Unicode coverage or using a fallback font usually fixes the issue. On the web, ensure the page’s font stack includes a general‑purpose fallback.
Related references: browse the Categories for similar characters. When choosing a symbol, prefer the official codepoint for semantic clarity and better compatibility with search, copy, and accessibility tooling.
See our category page for related symbols.
Technical details
- Codepoint:
U+2010 - General Category:
Pd - Age:
1.1 - Bidi Class:
ON - Block:
General Punctuation - Script:
Common - UTF-8:
E2 80 90 - UTF-16:
2010 - UTF-32:
00002010 - HTML dec:
‐ - HTML hex:
‐ - JS escape:
\u2010 - Python \N{}:
\N{HYPHEN} - Python \u:
\u2010 - Python \U:
\U00002010 - URL-encoded:
%E2%80%90 - CSS escape:
\2010
How to type / insert
Fast copy: click the Copy button near the top of this page.
By codepoint: in many editors and IDEs, you can insert via the Unicode code U+2010 or a built‑in character picker.
HTML: use the numeric entity ‐ (hex) or ‐ (decimal) when an HTML entity is needed.
Compatibility & troubleshooting
Font support: if the symbol does not render, the current font likely lacks this codepoint. Choose a font with broad Unicode coverage or allow a fallback font.
Web pages: ensure your CSS font stack includes a general fallback; avoid relying on images for common symbols to preserve accessibility and copyability.