u200E

U+200E is the Left-to-Right Mark (LRM), a Unicode formatting character used to indicate left-to-right directionality in bidirectional text. It is invisible in most renderings and does not produce a visible glyph. It belongs to the Unicode category Cf (Other, Format) and does not occupy printable space.

Encoding and representation: The code point is U+200E. In plain text it appears as an invisible character. In HTML you can encode it with a numeric character reference (‎ or ‎) or, in some contexts, with the named reference ‎. In many programming languages you can include it in strings with escapes such as \u200E.

Usage: It is used within bidirectional text to influence the ordering of adjacent characters without adding visible content. For example, in a paragraph primarily in a right-to-left script, inserting an LRM can help ensure that an embedded left-to-right segment (such as an English word) displays in the intended left-to-right order. It does not insert spaces, and it does not correspond to a printable symbol.

Relation to other characters: U+200F, the Right-to-Left Mark (RLM), serves a complementary role. Both are non-printing formatting characters that participate in the Unicode Bidirectional Algorithm. They are distinct from control codes and do not change the underlying characters, only their layout.

Considerations: Because LRM is invisible, it can complicate text processing, copy/paste, and search indexing. Some systems may strip or ignore formatting marks, potentially altering the intended display. Use of the LRM should be documented when sharing text with directionality considerations.