Hyphen-Minus
Block: Basic Latin
- Symbol
- -
- Unicode
U+002D- Unicode name
- HYPHEN-MINUS
- Block
- Basic Latin
- Script
- Common
- Category
- Punctuation, Dash
- Type
- Punctuation character
Hyphen-Minus (-) is encoded as U+002D and has the formal Unicode name HYPHEN-MINUS. Unicode classifies it as Punctuation, Dash in the Basic Latin block. U+002D HYPHEN-MINUS is the ASCII character commonly used as a hyphen or minus in plain text. Separately encoded named neighbors include − Minus Sign (U+2212); those records should be compared by name and code point rather than merged because their shapes or terminology are related.
The Encoded Identity Behind Hyphen-Minus
- is Hyphen-Minus (U+002D), classified by Unicode as Punctuation, Dash. In digital typography, that encoded identity is separate from the font drawing: a typeface can change width, stroke, or placement without turning the character into another code point.
This matters when punctuation, currency, or measurement marks have close visual neighbors. Preserve the intended character first; language- or style-guide spacing rules can then be applied without silently substituting a different mark.
Not the symbol you were looking for? Use what is this character -? to identify another mark from pasted text, Unicode, or visual appearance.
Characters That Can Be Confused With -
This character is linked with nearby or confusable records including − Minus Sign (U+2212), – En Dash (U+2013), and — Em Dash (U+2014). The relationship is useful for identification, but it does not make those characters interchangeable.
Fonts can reduce or exaggerate visual differences, so use each character's Unicode value and name when the distinction matters. Replacing one code point with another can change meaning, search behavior, parsing, sorting, or typography even when the glyphs appear close on screen.
Where - functions in real text
- is used in the role described for Hyphen-Minus: u+002D HYPHEN-MINUS is the ASCII character commonly used as a hyphen or minus in plain text.
In that context, U+002D identifies the character itself. The surrounding text supplies the specific information or notation that the mark accompanies, so character identity and document context should be kept separate.
Unicode Distinctions Around -
Unicode stores - as U+002D, while nearby records include − Minus Sign (U+2212). These are separate encoded identities, not alternate font drawings of one character.
The comparison is useful because a shared word in the name, a mirrored direction, or a similar outline can make two symbols appear interchangeable. When the distinction matters, compare the complete Unicode name and code point before replacing one record with another.
Digital Representations of U+002D
U+002D = decimal 45 = HTML - / -. A Unicode escape-style form is u002D. Its UTF-8 bytes are 2D.
Use these identifiers in markup, source code, exports, or character diagnostics when the glyph alone is not enough.