U+2026 · General Punctuation
Ellipsis …
The ellipsis … is a single character for three dots, showing omitted words in a quotation, a trailing-off thought, or a pause. Using the one-character form keeps the dots evenly spaced and prevents them from splitting across lines. Many interfaces also use it to signal that a menu item opens a dialog, such as Save As….
Character codes
| Unicode code point | U+2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 8230 | |
| HTML named entity | … | |
| HTML (hex) | … | |
| HTML (decimal) | … | |
| CSS | \2026 | |
| JavaScript | \u2026 | |
| Python | \u2026 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 80 A6 | |
| UTF-16 | 2026 | |
| URL-encoded | %E2%80%A6 |
Character details
| Official name | HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS |
|---|---|
| Unicode block | General Punctuation |
| General category | Other Punctuation (Po) |
| SymbolHero category | Punctuation |
| Decomposition | <compat> U+002E U+002E U+002E |
| Emoji | No |
How to type …
Windows
- Hold Alt and type 0133 on the numeric keypad (Num Lock on), then release Alt. Alt 0133 uses the Windows-1252 code page.
- In Microsoft Word or Outlook: type
2026then press Alt + X. - Open Character Map (search “Character Map” in Start), tick “Advanced view”, search for “horizontal ellipsis”, then Select and Copy.
Mac
- Press Option + Semicolon (;) (US English keyboard layout).
- Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search “horizontal ellipsis”, and double-click the result.
- With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type
2026.
iPhone & Android
- Tap Copy at the top of this page, then long-press where you want it and choose Paste.
Docs & web
- Google Docs: Insert → Special characters, then search “horizontal ellipsis” or enter
U+2026. - HTML:
…or… - Excel / Google Sheets:
=UNICHAR(8230)
Examples
- Wait… what?
- “We the People … do ordain and establish this Constitution.”
- Loading…
- File > Save As…
Good to know
Don’t mix it up: It is often confused with three separate periods ... (U+002E each), which look similar but are three characters.
Tip: Some style guides, including Chicago, prefer spaced periods in print, while the single character is standard in digital interfaces.
Display: the character itself is always the same code point, but its shape comes from the font on the device showing it. If you see an empty box, the font lacks this glyph—the text is still correct.
Similar punctuation
Questions
What is the Unicode for …?
It is U+2026 (HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS), decimal 8230.
Is there a Windows Alt code for it?
Yes: Alt 0133 on the numeric keypad.
How do I type it on a Mac?
Option + Semicolon (;) on a US English keyboard, or use the Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space).
What is the HTML code?
Use the named entity … or the numeric reference ….