Zero Width Space Symbol
A zero width space character that can subtly influence line breaking and text layout.
U+200B
The zero width space (U+200B) is a punctuation character that looks like nothing. It’s often used to control where browsers or editors may break a word across lines. You can copy it here and paste it into your text or code.
Zero Width Space Symbol Meaning
The Zero Width Space (Unicode U+200B, HTML entity ​) is a punctuation character that occupies no visible width in normal rendering. Even though it’s invisible, it can affect how text is segmented for line breaking, especially in cases like long strings, concatenated words, or scripts where wrapping opportunities are limited. Many text editors and browsers treat it as a possible break point without adding a visible space. In HTML and many other contexts, inserting a zero width space can help improve readability by allowing wrapping at specific positions while keeping text visually tight.
Common uses
- •Enable safer line wrapping in long words, URLs, or identifiers without adding visible spaces
- •Improve readability of concatenated names or tokens in responsive layouts
- •Allow copy/paste segmentation in editors that don’t automatically wrap certain strings
- •Create subtle separation points in text when you want no visible gap
- •Prevent awkward wrapping by inserting optional break opportunities in designed typography
Examples
Zero Width Space (U+200B)
- copypaste
- longwordwithaverylongstringthatmayneedwrappinghere
- abcdefghi
- usernametoken1234567890
- https://example.com/some/verylong/path/that/shouldwrap
Variations
Ready to copy
Technical codes
| Unicode | U+200B | |
| HTML Entity | ​ | |
| HTML Code | ​ | |
| CSS | \200B |
FAQ
What does a zero width space look like?
It’s invisible in most fonts and editors, but it can still affect line breaking and text layout.
Is the zero width space the same as a normal space?
No. A normal space has visible width, while the zero width space has no visible width and acts as an optional break point.
How do I insert it in HTML?
Use the HTML entity ​ at the position where you want a potential line break.
How can I verify that it’s present after pasting?
Paste it into a plain-text editor or code viewer and compare line wrapping behavior; some tools also show it via escaping or character inspection.