SymbolHub

Figure Dash (‒)

The figure dash ‒ is Unicode U+2012, the typographical dash whose width matches tabular numeric digits for neat columns. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.

Unicode
U+2012
HTML
‒
Word
2012 Alt+X

How to type the figure dash (‒)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ‒ yourself, use the method for your device below.

Windows

  1. In Word or Outlook, type 2012 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
  2. Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Figure Dash, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.

Mac

  1. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for figure dash and double-click it.
  2. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 2012.

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2012, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.

iPhone & iPad

  1. Copy ‒ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;figu. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Android

  1. Copy ‒ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 2012, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 2012 in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

  1. Insert → Special characters, then search for “figure dash” or draw it in the box.

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(8210) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write ‒ or ‒ in your HTML.

What does ‒ mean?

The figure dash (‒, Unicode U+2012) is a precision typographical dash designed with the exact advance width of a tabular numerical digit. In high-end book design, financial ledgers, and directory publishing, standard hyphens or en dashes introduce subtle misalignments because their widths do not equal numbers. The figure dash solves this problem by ensuring that columns of phone numbers, account balances, and serial numbers remain vertically aligned.

Unlike the en dash, which indicates inclusive ranges of numbers (10–20), the figure dash separates numbers without expressing a span, as in telephone listings (555‒0149). It provides clean tabular rhythm without the dramatic length of an em dash. Learn how to prevent wrapping with the non-breaking hyphen and explore the full family in dash symbols.

Common uses

  • Telephone number formatting in directories: “+1‒555‒0199” keeping digits aligned
  • Financial tables and accounting ledgers requiring monospaced numerical rhythm
  • Serial numbers, vehicle identification numbers (VIN), and postal routing codes

Figure Dash codes for HTML, CSS and programming

Every code below produces ‒. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.

Unicode code pointU+2012
HTML decimal‒
HTML hex‒
CSS contentcontent: "\2012";
JavaScript"\u2012"
Python"\u2012"
Python (by name)"\N{FIGURE DASH}"
Java / C#"\u2012"
UTF-8 bytesE2 80 92
UTF-162012
URL encoded%E2%80%92

‒ vs look-alike characters

These characters look similar to ‒ but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.

CharNameWhen to use it
En Dash
U+2013		En dash (U+2013). Intended for number and date ranges; often differs in width from tabular digits.
Hyphen-Minus
U+002D		Hyphen-minus (U+002D). Standard variable-width ASCII key that misaligns tabular number columns.
Em Dash
U+2014		Em dash (U+2014). Long grammatical dash marking sentence pauses and interruptions.

Symbols similar to ‒

Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full line symbols collection.

  • Details
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  • Details
  • Details
  • Details

‒ character properties

Official Unicode name
FIGURE DASH
Also known as
digit dash, number dash, monospace dash
Code point
U+2012
Unicode block
General Punctuation (U+2000–U+206F)
General category
Dash punctuation (Pd)
Added in
Unicode 1.1 (1993)
Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
Emoji
No, it is a text symbol

Frequently asked questions

What is the exact purpose of a figure dash?

The figure dash is drawn with the exact same width as a digit (0–9) in fonts with tabular numbers, guaranteeing that columns of numbers in phone directories and financial reports line up perfectly.

When should I use a figure dash instead of an en dash?

Use a figure dash to separate digits that do not represent a range, such as telephone numbers. Use an en dash to express an inclusive range, such as pages 5–10.

How do I type a figure dash on keyboard?

In Microsoft Word, type 2012 and press Alt + X. On Linux, press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2012, and press Enter. In HTML, write ‒ or copy it directly from SymbolHub.

Is there an alt code for the figure dash?

No. ‒ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 2012 then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.

How do I type the figure dash on a Mac?

There is no single Option shortcut for ‒ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “figure dash” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.

What is the HTML code for the figure dash?

‒ has no named HTML entity. Use the numeric reference ‒ or ‒, or paste the character directly into a UTF-8 page.

What is the Unicode for the figure dash?

‒ is U+2012, officially named FIGURE DASH, in the General Punctuation block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).