HTML Non-Breaking Hyphen: Text Formatting Techniques for Web Design

Have you ever noticed? Sometimes, a word contains two words in itself. Also, due to the lack of place, half of the word moves to the following line; if you read them separately, they might mean something different. To solve this problem comes the non-breaking hyphen, which has a non-breaking hyphen in itself. But what is even a non-breaking hyphen HTML?

Simply put, an HTML non-breaking hyphen is a hyphen character that will not allow a line break to occur at that position. In most cases, if a word is longer than the width of the line, a hyphen will result in a line break. The whole term or phrase must remain on one line when using a non-breaking hyphen.

You can add an HTML non-breaking hyphen easily, just like Adding Bullet Points In HTML, using two methods: either a normal dash or the &#8209 entity. Both ways display the same output. Besides this, you can also try CSS hyphenation.

Use these hyphens in compound words, acronyms, product names, etc. Doing this may prevent words that belong together from moving to a different line, enhancing readability and uniformity, particularly for more extensive compound terms, acronyms, or product names, including links when embedding a YouTube video in HTML. Now, let’s start by taking a look at the syntax.

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Table of Contents

HTML Non-Breaking Hyphen: Syntax

There are two ways to add an HTML non-breaking hyphen in HTML code:

1. Use the ‑ entity:

Same ‑ Line

This is the non-breaking hyphen word used before HTML5.

2. Use the HTML non-breaking dash:

Same-Line

This is the non-breaking hyphen alt code which is just the “-” entity. This was introduced in HTML5.

Both methods produce the same result: an unbreakable hyphen – that keeps the text together on one line.

Best Practices for Using HTML Non-Breaking Hyphens

Some best practices for practical HTML non-breaking hyphen usage include:

Methods for Inserting Non-Breaking Hyphens HTML

There are three methods to insert non-breaking hyphens in HTML:

HTML Entity

The non-breaking hyphen HTML entity is . To use this method, add in your HTML code where you want the non-breaking hyphen to appear.

Decimal Code

The decimal code for the non-breaking hyphen is 8209. To use this method, add ‑ in your HTML code where you want the non-breaking hyphen HTML.

Hexadecimal Code

The hexadecimal code for the non-breaking hyphen is ‑. Insert this code in your HTML as ‑ to create a non-breaking hyphen.

Example of Non-Breaking Hyphen HTML:

Using Non-Breaking Hyphens in CSS

You can use non-breaking hyphens in CSS to prevent words from breaking at specific points. You can achieve this by setting the content property with the hexadecimal code for the non-breaking hyphen and the desired word.

Example of Non-Breaking Hyphen word in CSS:

Benefits and Applications

Non-breaking hyphens offer several benefits and applications:

Keeping Compound Words Together

Non-breaking hyphens help maintain compound words, such as “mother-in-law” or “self-service,” as a single unit.

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Preventing Hyphens from Becoming HTML Non-breaking Dashes

Using non-breaking hyphens prevents situations where hyphens are automatically converted to dashes, like writing “15-20” instead of “15-20.”

CSS Text Control

In CSS, non-breaking hyphens allow precise control over text rendering, ensuring specific words remain together in a line.

Using Non-Breaking Hyphens The Right Way

To maximize the usefulness of the HTML non-breaking hyphen, there are some simple practices you’ll want to follow. Let’s walk through a few together –

Use non-breaking hyphens for compound words

They’re perfect for keeping phrases like “mother-in-law” or “cash-on-delivery” intact on a line. The whole compound word stays unified.

Apply them to acronyms with multiple parts

Keeping the acronym together keeps things like “HTML-CSS” or “ISO-9001” readable and consistent.

Only use a non-breaking hyphen when necessary

Regular hyphens work great most of the time. Only apply a non-breaking hyphen where a traditional line break would be confusing or undesirable.

Don’t go overboard

More non-breaking hyphens can make your text easier to read. Limit usage to only what’s needed to keep keywords or phrases together.

Apply them consistently

Use non-breaking hyphens for every instance of a phrase, not just some of the time. This keeps things neat and uniform looking.

Use them for product names

This ensures your branded names and items stay whole on the page, supporting your messaging.

Think about readability

Consider if breaking up a phrase into two lines might aid comprehension. Use your best judgment in each case.

Test at multiple sizes

What works at one font size may cause smaller or larger text issues. Make sure you test thoroughly.

Avoid orphan words

Don’t leave short secondary words dangling alone on a line due to a non-breaking hyphen in the primary word.

Try CSS hyphenation as an alternative

CSS hyphens can consistently break long words across lines in an easy-to-read way.

Stick to these guidelines, and your non-breaking hyphens will improve. Sticking to the guidelines will allow readability, consistency, and user experience. It’s all about thoughtful, intentional usage in the right places.

You can craft beautiful, readable web content with that balanced approach and testing.

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Real-World Examples of Putting Non-Breaking Hyphens To Work

Let’s look at some practical examples of the HTML non-breaking hyphen in action –

We’ve got the following:

The mother-in-law and daughter relationship

The non-breaking hyphen keeps “mother-in-law” together on one neat line, exactly how we want it.

Like this one:

<h3>ISO‑9001 Certification</h3>

The ISO-9001 acronym stays intact as a header thanks to the non-breaking hyphen, keeping things readable and uniform.

Or this brand name:

Smith-Johnston Technology

The branded company name “Smith-Johnston” remains whole on one line, preserving the brand’s integrity.

There’s also:

The buy‑one‑get‑one‑free promotion

All four parts of this longer phrase are kept together with non-breaking hyphens, lining up exactly how we want.

And like this:

He is the vice‑president of the company.

The job title “vice-president” stays unified on one neat line, just as we intended.

Do you see how versatile non-breaking hyphens are and how big of a role they play? And most of the time, we don’t even notice! They keep compound words, acronyms, brand names, phrases, and more exactly where you want them – on one readable line.

Browser Support for HTML Non-Breaking Hyphens

All major browsers fully support the HTML non-breaking hyphen character and entities. This includes –

Chrome
Firefox
Safari
Edge
Internet Explorer

Browsers will correctly render text with non-breaking hyphens, ensuring line breaks do not occur at those positions. You can freely use non-breaking hyphens, knowing all modern browsers will display them correctly.

Accessibility of HTML Non-Breaking Hyphen

Using HTML non-breaking hyphens does not negatively impact the accessibility of your web content. Screen readers will:

Correctly read text with non-breaking hyphens as one continuous word or phrase.
Not insert an unnatural pause at the non-breaking hyphen position.

This allows screen reader users to comprehend text using non-breaking hyphens in the same way as visual users.

Ensuring non-breaking hyphen HTML is only used when necessary to hold related words together is an excellent practice. They could cause slight accessibility concerns if used liberally.

However, using non-breaking hyphens accurately, as shown in this article, does not inherently make your HTML less accessible.

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Codes to Represent a Non-breaking Hyphen

You can use a specific code to represent a non-breaking hyphen in HTML. This unique character prevents a line of text from breaking between the hyphen and the word that follows it. By doing so, you can ensure that certain words stay together as a single unit, even when the browser window is narrow. This is especially useful for compound words or to prevent a regular hyphen from turning into a dash.

To insert a non-breaking hyphen in HTML, you have three options: