U+2002 · General Punctuation
En Space
The en space is a fixed-width blank equal to half an em, roughly the width of a lowercase n in most fonts. Unlike a regular space, its width does not stretch in justified text, which makes it useful for fine-tuning layout. Typographers use it to separate items that need slightly more room than a word space.
Character codes
| Unicode code point | U+2002 | |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 8194 | |
| HTML named entity | | |
| HTML (hex) | | |
| HTML (decimal) | | |
| CSS | \2002 | |
| JavaScript | \u2002 | |
| Python | \u2002 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 80 82 | |
| UTF-16 | 2002 | |
| URL-encoded | %E2%80%82 |
Character details
| Official name | EN SPACE |
|---|---|
| Unicode block | General Punctuation |
| General category | Space Separator (Zs) |
| SymbolHero category | Spaces & Invisible Characters |
| Decomposition | <compat> U+0020 |
| Emoji | No |
How to type the En Space
Windows
- In Microsoft Word or Outlook: type
2002then press Alt + X. - Open Character Map (search “Character Map” in Start), tick “Advanced view”, search for “en space”, then Select and Copy.
Mac
- Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search “en space”, and double-click the result.
- With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type
2002.
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 “en space” or enter
U+2002. - HTML:
- Excel / Google Sheets:
=UNICHAR(8194)
Examples
- Adding a fixed gap between a list number and its text.
- Separating a date from a headline in a dateline.
- Padding a single-line label without relying on CSS.
Good to know
Don’t mix it up: It is easily confused with the em space (U+2003), which is twice as wide.
Tip: The en space allows a line break; for layout on web pages, CSS margins and padding are usually more maintainable than inserted space characters.
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.
Questions
What is the Unicode for the En Space?
It is U+2002 (EN SPACE), decimal 8194.
Is there a Windows Alt code for it?
No standard Alt code exists for this character. In Word type 2002 then Alt+X, or copy it from this page.
How do I type it on a Mac?
There is no built-in Option shortcut. Use the Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space) and search “en space”, or copy it from this page.
What is the HTML code?
Use the named entity or the numeric reference .