\v?\v matches one vertical tab character (VT, U+000B). It is a rare legacy control character—useful when cleaning old data, not for everyday text formatting.
\v → vertical tab (U+000B)
\t → horizontal tab (U+0009)
\n → newline / line feed (U+000A)
/\v/.test("hello") → false
/\v/.test("a\vb") → true
"a\vb".replace(/\v/g, "|") → "a|b"\vTreat vertical tab as a precise control character—not as a newline or horizontal tab.
"\v" or "\u000B"./\v/ with test, split, or replace.g flag when every vertical tab must be removed.\v over \s when other whitespace should stay.| Piece | Required? | Role |
|---|---|---|
\v in the pattern | Yes | Match one vertical tab |
| String escape | For demos | "\v" inserts VT into a string |
g flag | Optional | Find or replace every VT |
vs \t / \n | — | Different code points — do not mix them up |
pattern has "\v"
read next character ch from the string
if ch.codePoint === 11: // vertical tab (U+000B)
accept match
else:
fail this path
common actions:
test(str) → true if any VT exists
replace(/\v/g, "") → strip every VT
split(/\v/) → parts between VT delimitersKeep these facts handy when cleaning control characters.
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Character | Vertical tab — U+000B (code point 11) |
| Detect | /\v/.test(str) |
| Remove | str.replace(/\v/g, "") |
| Whitespace? | Yes — included in \s |
| Not the same as | \t (HT) · \n (LF) · \f (FF) |
| Also written | \u000B · \x0B |
| Standard | ES3+ (universal) |
Run common \v operations on sample strings that contain a vertical tab.
Short, copy-ready snippets. Open DevTools Console, or use Try It Yourself for a live editor.
Return true only when a real VT character is present.
console.log(/\v/.test("hello")); // false
console.log(/\v/.test("a\vb")); // true
console.log(/\v/.test("a\tb")); // false"hello" has no VT → false."\v" embeds a real U+000B character./\v/ finds that character anywhere in the string."\t" is U+0009 — not matched by \v.\v, \t, and \nConfirm that vertical tab, horizontal tab, and newline are distinct.
const withVT = "a\vb";
console.log(/\v/.test(withVT)); // true
console.log(/\t/.test(withVT)); // false
console.log(/\n/.test(withVT)); // false
console.log(/\s/.test(withVT)); // true"\v", not tab or newline.\v hits. Vertical tab matches → true.\t and \n miss. Different control characters → false.\s still hits. Vertical tab counts as whitespace.Strip invisible VT characters from legacy or messy input.
const dirty = "left\vright\v";
console.log(dirty.replace(/\v/g, "")); // "leftright"
console.log(dirty.replace(/\v/g, " ")); // "left right "
console.log(dirty.charCodeAt(4)); // 11"" joins the text.charCodeAt returns 11 for VT.Check these before relying on \v in real projects.
Most modern text never includes VT. Reach for \v when cleaning legacy data—not for everyday formatting.
\v ≠ \t ≠ \nThree different control characters. Use the escape that matches the code point you actually have.
\s is broader than \v\s also matches space, tab, and newline. Use \v when those must stay untouched.
When debugging, print charCodeAt, JSON.stringify, or replace VT with a marker like "|".
The \v vertical tab escape is core regex syntax (ES3+) and works everywhere JavaScript runs.
Supported in every modern and legacy browser, plus all Node.js versions. No polyfill required.
Bottom line: Safe to use in any JavaScript environment. Prefer \v over \s when you need vertical-tab-only matching.
| Approach | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
/\v/.test(str) | O(n) | Quick “has VT?” checks |
str.replace(/\v/g, "") | O(n) | Sanitizing legacy text |
str.split(/\v/) | O(n) | Rare VT-delimited data |
Single-character escapes are cheap. Prefer \s only when you intentionally want every whitespace type.
\v matches one vertical tab (U+000B).\t or \n.\s.replace(/\v/g, "") removes legacy VT noise.One line: \v finds the vertical tab — detect it, do not confuse it with \t/\n, and strip it when cleaning legacy text.
Learn how the word metacharacter matches letters, digits, and underscore.
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