Minus symbol
The true minus sign − is not the hyphen on your keyboard. It is longer, sits higher — centred on the maths axis, exactly matching the plus sign’s width — and it is the only dash that belongs in equations and negative numbers. Copy the real minus symbol here, next to its three look-alikes, and learn to tell the whole dash family apart at a glance.
Copy the minus and its look-alikes
Each dash at work
The dash family, told apart
| Character | How it looks | Its job |
|---|---|---|
| − minus (U+2212) | Plus-width, mid-height | Subtraction and negative numbers: 10 − 4, −5 °C |
| – hyphen-minus (U+002D) | Short, sits low | The keyboard key: joins words (well-known), and stands in for minus ONLY in code and spreadsheets |
| – en dash (U+2013) | Medium length | Ranges and connections: pages 10–15, the London–Paris train |
| — em dash (U+2014) | Longest | Punctuation — a break in a sentence, never arithmetic |
Why does the true minus sit higher? Because it was drawn as the plus sign’s partner: one bar of the + removed. Typesetters kept its stroke at the height where operators live, while the hyphen stayed down with the letters it joins. In print the difference is unmistakable; only the keyboard pretends they are one key.
How to type it
| Platform | Method |
|---|---|
| Windows (Word) | Type 2212 then Alt + X; autocorrect also converts a spaced hyphen in sums in many Office setups |
| Mac | No single key — Character Viewer (search “minus”) or copy from here |
| HTML / LaTeX | HTML: the “minus” entity name (ampersand + minus;) or code 8722. LaTeX maths mode turns – into − automatically |
| Excel / code | Use the keyboard hyphen-minus: formulas only understand -, never the true − character |
Explore more
The partner sign is the plus symbol, the pair fused lives on the plus minus symbol page, and every operator gathers in the math symbols collection.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just use the hyphen key as a minus?
In code, spreadsheets and quick notes — yes, every system expects it there. In finished documents, no: the hyphen sits too low and short next to digits, and professional typesetting (and careful teachers) spot it instantly. Paste the true − into documents; keep – for formulas.
Why does my pasted minus break a formula?
Because the true minus (U+2212) is a display character — Excel and programming languages parse only the ASCII hyphen-minus as subtraction. If a pasted sum shows an error, a real minus hiding in it is the usual culprit.
How do I write a negative temperature correctly?
Minus sign directly against the number, no space: −5 °C. The − here is the same operator doing its second job — marking a value below zero rather than subtracting.
Minus or en dash for a range?
En dash, always: 10–15 means “from ten to fifteen”. A minus in a range would read as subtraction (10 − 15 = −5) — one small stroke, a completely different sentence.