Midline Horizontal Ellipsis ⋯

⋯ (U+22EF) 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: Midline Horizontal Ellipsis is part of the Symbols family (block: Mathematical Operators). 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 MIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS is a punctuation mark used to show a pause or unfinished thought. It appears as three evenly spaced dots in the middle of a line. Its Unicode name is U+22EF. In history, writers used various marks to show trailing ideas, gaps, or suspense. The standard arc of an ellipsis evolved from simple periods or dots in manuscripts to a dedicated symbol in modern typography. The mark is designed to blend with inline text and not dominate the line. Usage follows style rules that differ by locale and publication. The single symbol can indicate omitted material or a continuation of a sentence. In some styles, it also signals a soft break or a lingering tone. For clarity, writers pair the Midline Horizontal Ellipsis with normal capitalization and spacing rules. Readers perceive it as less abrupt than a full stop. In digital text, the character exists in a dedicated code point and connects letters with a subtle pause. Use it consistently within a document to maintain a steady rhythm. The usage atom notes that punctuation marks structure text and convey tone; usage conventions differ by style and locale.

Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+22EF 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.