En Dash –

The En Dash character (–) is a standard HTML entity defined in the HTML specification. In HTML source code, it can be written using the named entity reference –, the decimal numeric character reference –, or the hexadecimal numeric reference –. The character is assigned Unicode code point U+2013 in the Universal Character Set.

The en dash is a punctuation mark that is wider than a hyphen but narrower than an em dash. Its width traditionally equals one en (half an em). The en dash is used to express ranges, connections, and contrasts between pairs of values. It is a fundamental character in professional typography.

Punctuation and whitespace entities are among the most frequently used HTML entities in web development. They handle characters that either have special meaning in HTML syntax — such as angle brackets and ampersands — or represent typographic characters that improve the visual quality of text, like em dashes and curly quotes. Proper use of punctuation entities is essential for producing valid, well-formed HTML documents and achieving professional-looking typography on the web.

When deciding how to encode the En Dash character in your HTML documents, the named entity – is generally the most readable choice for developers reviewing or maintaining source code. The decimal form – and hexadecimal form – are equally valid alternatives that work in contexts where named entities may not be supported, or when generating HTML output programmatically from server-side code. All three representations produce identical visual output in every modern web browser.

Use the en dash to indicate ranges of numbers (pages 10–20), dates (June–August), scores (3–1), and connections between pairs of words (New York–London flight). Do not use hyphens for ranges — the en dash is the typographically correct choice and improves readability.