U2013

U+2013, commonly referred to as the en dash, is a Unicode code point for a punctuation character. Its official name is EN DASH. It is shorter than the em dash (U+2014) and longer than the hyphen (U+002D), serving specific typographic purposes.

In terms of encoding, U+2013 has the UTF-8 byte sequence E2 80 93. In HTML, it is typically represented by the named entity – or the numeric entity –. In many word processors and typesetting systems, the en dash is entered via specific keyboard shortcuts or auto-correct features.

The primary use of the en dash is to indicate ranges or connections. It is commonly employed to show numbers or dates within a range, such as pages 7–12 or the 1990–1999 decade. It is also used to connect words that form a single idea or compound adjective, as in the New York–London flight. In English typography, there is usually no spaces on either side of an en dash, though some languages or style guides may vary.

It is distinct from the hyphen, which joins words as a simple link, and from the em dash, which marks a stronger break or interruption in a sentence. Proper use of the en dash helps clarify ranges and relationships without implying full separation or emphasis.

When transferring text across systems, proper Unicode encoding should be preserved to avoid misrendering, especially in environments that default to ASCII or lack full Unicode support.