En Dash Symbol – Copy and Paste

Copy the En Dash Symbol

Highlight and copy the en dash below:

–

Paste it into any document, email, or text field.

Unicode and Technical Details

• Unicode: U+2013
• HTML Entity: – or –
• UTF-8: E2 80 93
• Name: EN DASH

What Is an En Dash?

The en dash (–) is a punctuation mark wider than a hyphen (-) but narrower than an em dash (—). Its name comes from its width being approximately equal to the letter "N" in the current typeface. Despite being one of the most useful punctuation marks, many people never use it — defaulting to hyphens for everything. Using en dashes correctly makes your writing look more polished and professional.

En Dash vs. Hyphen vs. Em Dash

Here is how the three compare:

• Hyphen (-) — the shortest, found on your keyboard next to the 0 key. Used for compound words (well-known), prefixes (re-enter), and line breaks
• En dash (–) — medium width. Used for ranges, scores, and connections between paired items
• Em dash (—) — the longest, about the width of the letter "M". Used for parenthetical statements, interruptions, and emphasis

Visual comparison: hyphen-en dash-em dash: - – —

When to Use an En Dash

Number Ranges

The most common use — replacing "to" or "through" in number ranges:

• Pages 45–67
• 2020–2026
• $50–$100
• Ages 18–25
• January–March

Sports Scores and Votes

• The final score was 3–1
• The bill passed 52–48

Compound Adjectives with Multiple Words

When one element of a compound adjective already contains a hyphen or has multiple words, use an en dash:

• A post–World War II economy
• The New York–London flight
• A pro–gun control argument

Direction or Connection

• The Berlin–Paris express train
• The left–right political spectrum

How to Type the En Dash

Windows

• Hold Alt and type 0150 on the numeric keypad
• In Microsoft Word: type a space, then two hyphens (–), then a space. Word auto-converts to an en dash
• Or use Ctrl + Numpad Minus in some applications

Mac

• Press Option + Hyphen
• This works system-wide in every app

iPhone

• Long-press the hyphen key on the keyboard to reveal the en dash option
• Slide your finger to select –

Android

• Long-press the hyphen key
• Select the en dash from the popup menu

HTML

Use the HTML entity: – or –

Common Mistakes

• Using a hyphen for ranges — "2020-2026" should be "2020–2026" with an en dash
• Using two hyphens — "3–1" should have an en dash, not "3--1"
• Spaces around en dashes in ranges — "pages 45 – 67" is wrong; it should be "pages 45–67" with no spaces
• Confusing en dash with minus sign — the minus sign (−) is a different character (U+2212) used in math

En Dash in Different Fonts

The en dash length varies by font but is always between the hyphen and em dash in width. In sans-serif fonts like Arial, it appears shorter. In serif fonts like Times New Roman, it is more distinct. The en dash should always be clearly wider than a hyphen — if it looks identical, you probably typed a hyphen instead.

Related Symbols

Need other dash or punctuation symbols? See our guides for Em Dash vs. En Dash, Tilde ~, and Asterisk *.