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␢

blank symbol

Blank symbol

␢ shows an empty gap as a visible blank. It is a symbol, not the ordinary space between words; its crossed b comes from older substitute-blank computer notation.

Text symbol

Also called: substitute blank
Search it as: visible blank · word separator
Shows up in: Anything that takes text · its shape is whatever your font draws

What ␢ means

␢ shows a blank without becoming an ordinary space.

An IBM 1401 manual from 1960 distinguishes a blank (no punched hole) from a word separator. A Unicode discussion in 2011 traces the crossed b to older BCD/BCDIC notation—early data codes—for a substitute blank. Unicode lists ␢ as a visible picture of ASCII SPACE, the ordinary space in ASCII text.

What is ␢ used for?

Use it when the blank must stay visible.

Text with ␢ contains a literal symbol, not a separator. Use an ordinary space when software must split words at the gap.

Technical notation for showing an otherwise invisible blank.

It is not a word-separating space.

Don't confuse it with

Latin Small Letter B With Stroke

ƀ is a Latin letter b with a stroke, not a marker for a blank.

Questions people ask

Why does ␢ show as a box on some devices?

Because that device's fonts have no glyph for it. The character is still correct and still copies correctly — the box is a missing glyph, not a broken character.

How to type ␢

Windows (Word)

Alt+XType 2422, then Alt+X to get ␢.

Windows

Win+Rrun charmap for the full table, or use the emoji picker's Ω symbols tab (Win + .).

macOS

Control+Command+SpaceOpen the character viewer and search “blank symbol”.

Linux

Ctrl+Shift+UType 2422, then Enter or Space.

HTML

␢

CSS

\2422

Codes and encoding1 code points

HTML decimal

␢

HTML hex

␢

CSS content

content: "\2422";

Each escape is closed by the next backslash; a trailing space is needed before a literal hex digit.

URL encoded

%E2%90%A2

On screen

Code points

JS .length

UTF-8 bytes

A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.

Families this belongs to

Control pictures55 symbols

␀␁␂␃␄␅␆␇␈␉␊␋