HTML Entity for Soft Hyphen (­)
What You'll Learn
How to insert Soft Hyphen (U+00AD) in HTML using numeric references, the named entity, and CSS escapes. This character is SOFT HYPHEN in the Latin-1 Supplement block (U+0080–U+00FF). It marks an optional break point inside a word—invisible unless the line wraps at that position.
Use the named entity ­, hex ­, decimal ­, or CSS \AD. ­ is the most readable option when writing HTML by hand. Do not confuse soft hyphen with Hyphen-Minus U+002D (-), Hyphen U+2010 (‐), or Non-Breaking Hyphen U+2011 (‑).
⚡ Quick Reference — Soft Hyphen
U+00ADLatin-1 Supplement (U+0080–U+00FF)
­Hexadecimal reference
­Decimal reference
­Standard HTML entity
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+00AD
Hex code ­
HTML code ­
Named entity ­
CSS code \AD
Behavior Invisible unless word breaks
Not the same U+002D = - (hyphen-minus)
U+2010 = ‐ (hyphen)
U+2011 = ‑ (non-breaking hyphen)
Block Latin-1 Supplement (U+0080–U+00FF)Complete HTML Example
A simple example placing soft hyphens in a long word inside a narrow container. Resize the viewport to see optional line breaks:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
.narrow { width: 8em; border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0.5rem; }
#point::after { content: "\AD"; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p class="narrow">Named: extraordi­nary</p>
<p class="narrow">Hex: extraordi­nary</p>
<p class="narrow">Decimal: extraordi­nary</p>
<p id="point">CSS entity demo: </p>
</body>
</html>🌐 Browser Support
U+00AD soft hyphen behavior is widely supported for optional word breaking:
👀 Live Preview
Soft hyphens are invisible until a line break is needed. Narrow the preview or resize your window:
🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
­ references code point U+00AD using hex digits AD.
Decimal HTML Code
­ is the decimal equivalent (173) for the same character.
Named HTML Entity
­ is the standard named entity for U+00AD—the most readable choice in HTML source.
CSS Entity
\AD is the CSS escape for U+00AD, used in the content property of pseudo-elements.
Optional break point
All four methods insert U+00AD. The glyph is invisible until a line wraps at that point, then a hyphen may appear. Next: Sound Recording Copyright.
Use Cases
Soft Hyphen (U+00AD) commonly appears in:
Optional breaks as containers shrink on mobile and tablet.
Technical terms, URLs, and compound words that may need wrapping.
Sidebars, cards, and multi-column layouts with limited width.
Languages with long compound words and syllable break hints.
Examples showing ­ alongside numeric references.
Entity guides for invisible formatting characters.
💡 Best Practices
Do
- Prefer
­for readable hand-written HTML - Place soft hyphens at logical syllable boundaries in long words
- Test wrapping in narrow viewports and sidebars
- Use
\ADonly inside CSScontent - Combine with CSS
overflow-wrapfor robust typography
Don’t
- Write U+000AD—the correct notation is U+00AD
- Use CSS
\000ADwith a leading zero unless required—prefer\AD - Substitute a visible hyphen (-) when you need an optional break point
- Overuse soft hyphens in every word—they are for break hints only
- Confuse
­with non-breaking hyphen U+2011 (‑)
Key Takeaways
Named entity for easy authoring
­Numeric references also insert U+00AD
­ ­For CSS stylesheets, use \AD in the content property
U+00AD SOFT HYPHEN — invisible until a line break
Previous: Snowman (☃) Next: Sound Recording Copyright (℗)
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
­ (named entity), ­ (hex), ­ (decimal), or \AD in CSS content. Place it inside a word where an optional break is allowed.U+00AD (SOFT HYPHEN). Latin-1 Supplement (U+0080–U+00FF). Hex AD, decimal 173.­, ­, or ­) go directly in markup inside words. The CSS escape \AD is used in stylesheets, typically in the content property of pseudo-elements.Explore More HTML Entities!
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