Figure Dash vs. En Dash
Unicode assigns FIGURE DASH and EN DASH separate code points. The en dash has established editorial uses such as ranges in many style systems; the figure dash is a distinct character associated with figure-width or numerical typography and should not be substituted automatically for the en dash.
Use an en dash when the governing editorial style calls for it, such as many number-range conventions; use a figure dash only when the typographic or data context specifically requires U+2012.
Key details
Important caveats
Style Boundary
En-dash usage in ranges is a house-style convention; character identity does not make every range style universal.
Further guidance
Character Difference
Unicode separately identifies FIGURE DASH (U+2012) and EN DASH (U+2013).
Use
Use the character required by the typographic or editorial convention rather than choosing solely by visual width.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- General Punctuation — Unicode Names List (opens in a new tab)Unicode Consortium · Unicode identities for directional quotation marks and related punctuation characters
- Dashes and hyphens — Microsoft Style Guide (opens in a new tab)Microsoft · En-dash and em-dash functions, including number ranges and sentence breaks