En Dash (–)
HTML entity for the en dash (–). Learn how to use – or – in HTML for ranges, scores, and compound adjectives.
Punctuation
–
En Dash
All Formats
| Format | Value |
|---|---|
| Character | – |
| HTML Entity | – |
| HTML Code (Decimal) | – |
| Unicode | U+2013 |
| CSS Content | \2013 |
| Category | Punctuation |
About En Dash
The en dash (–) is a dash approximately the width of the letter "N," positioned between the shorter hyphen (-) and the longer em dash (—). It serves specific typographical purposes that distinguish it from both.
In HTML, insert the en dash using –, –, or –. The named entity – is clean and well-supported. The en dash is primarily used for ranges (2020–2025, pages 10–20, Monday–Friday), scores (Patriots 24–17 Eagles), and compound adjectives where one element is multi-word (New York–based).
The en dash is part of the General Punctuation Unicode block. Many writers mistakenly use hyphens where en dashes are appropriate, but professional typography distinguishes between them. The en dash implies a connection or range between two items, while the hyphen joins words or parts of words.
In CSS, use "\2013" with the content property for pseudo-element insertion. Using the correct dash character (en dash for ranges, em dash for breaks, hyphen for compounds) significantly improves the typographical quality of web content. Screen readers may announce it as "to" in the context of ranges.
Usage Examples
<!-- Using named entity -->
<p>This is the En Dash: –</p>
<!-- Using numeric code -->
<p>This is the En Dash: –</p>
<!-- Using the character directly (UTF-8) -->
<p>This is the En Dash: –</p>
<!-- In CSS -->
.icon::before {
content: "\2013";
}FAQ
What is the HTML entity for En Dash?
The En Dash (–) can be inserted using the named entity –, the numeric code –, or by pasting the character directly in a UTF-8 document.
How do I use – in CSS?
In CSS, use the content property with the value "\2013". For example: content: "\2013";
What is the Unicode code point for En Dash?
The Unicode code point for En Dash is U+2013. This is the universal identifier for this character across all platforms and programming languages.
Try It in the HTML Entity Tool
Use our HTML Entity Encoder & Decoder to encode and decode HTML entities, convert between named, numeric, and hex formats, and explore the full entity reference table.