Hyphen vs. Minus Sign
A hyphen and a minus sign can look similar in some fonts, but they do different jobs. Microsoft distinguishes the hyphen used in compounds from the minus sign used for subtraction and negative numbers, so professional text should not treat the symbols as interchangeable.
Use a hyphen to join words or word parts; use a minus sign for subtraction and negative numbers.
Key details
Important caveats
Accessibility Boundary
Do not substitute an en dash for a minus sign; preserve the mathematical meaning of the character in technical content.
Further guidance
Character Difference
Microsoft treats hyphens and minus signs as distinct punctuation/symbol choices rather than interchangeable marks.
Practical Application
Use the hyphen for compound words and word parts, and the minus sign for subtraction or negative values. In technical copy, preserve the actual mathematical minus character when the distinction matters rather than substituting punctuation because the glyphs look similar.
Reader Check
Is the symbol joining language elements, or is it expressing a mathematical operation or negative value?
Use
Use a hyphen to join words or word parts; use a minus sign for subtraction operations and negative numbers.
Worked Example
Write “well-known method” with hyphens, but write “5 − 2 = 3” and “−10 °C” with a minus sign in typography that distinguishes the characters.
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.
- Dashes and hyphens — Microsoft Style Guide (opens in a new tab)Microsoft · En-dash and em-dash functions, including number ranges and sentence breaks