Soft Hyphen Symbol
A soft hyphen marks an optional hyphenation point that only appears when a word breaks across lines.
U+00AD
The soft hyphen (U+00AD) is a special punctuation character used to suggest where a hyphen may be shown. Unlike a normal hyphen, it typically renders only when line wrapping occurs. This makes it useful for fine-tuned typography and readable text on narrow layouts.
Soft Hyphen Symbol Meaning
The soft hyphen (U+00AD) is an invisible or minimally visible formatting character that controls where a word can be hyphenated during line breaking. When a word containing a soft hyphen needs to wrap, the renderer may display a hyphen at that point; if the word does not break, the soft hyphen usually has no visible effect. This behavior is especially relevant in HTML and other text-rendering contexts that support line wrapping and hyphenation. Use it to indicate permissible breakpoints in long words such as compound terms, URLs, or pre-hyphenated strings for specific layout widths.
Common uses
- •Suggesting hyphenation points in long words for better wrapping
- •Preparing typographic strings for responsive layouts (narrow screens)
- •Controlling optional breakpoints when generating text for HTML rendering
- •Improving readability in languages or content where compound words can break across lines
- •Using it in templates or content pipelines to hint line-breaking behavior
Examples
Soft Hyphen (U+00AD)
- computer
- hyphenate
- international
- resource
- typeset
Variations
Ready to copy
Technical codes
| Unicode | U+00AD | |
| HTML Entity | ­ | |
| HTML Code | ­ | |
| CSS | \00AD |
FAQ
What does the soft hyphen do when copying text?
It typically stays invisible until a word needs to wrap. If the word breaks at that point, the renderer may show a hyphen.
Is the soft hyphen the same as a regular hyphen (-)?
No. A regular hyphen is always visible, while a soft hyphen is conditional and depends on line breaking.
Will it always display as a hyphen on every device?
Not necessarily. Rendering of line breaking and hyphenation can vary by browser, font, and layout constraints.
How can I include it in code?
Use its Unicode value U+00AD or the provided escapes/entity: ­, \\00AD, or \\u{00AD}.