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Ellipsis Symbol (…)
The ellipsis (…) is the three-dot pause — for trailing off, leaving words out, and 'there is more to come'.
Ellipsis codes
| Code | Value |
|---|---|
| Unicode code point | U+2026 |
| Unicode name | Horizontal Ellipsis |
| HTML named entity | … |
| HTML decimal | … |
| HTML hex | … |
| CSS content code | \2026 |
| JavaScript / JSON | \u2026 |
| Windows Alt code | No standard Alt code — copy it from the card above |
Ellipsis variants (4)
4 related glyphs — click any tile to copy it. Tiles with a page open that symbol's own page.
Meaning & usage
… is one character, not three full stops: it marks speech that trails away ('I thought… never mind'), words trimmed from a quotation, and the pregnant pause of texting. Typing three periods works in a pinch, but the true ellipsis has proper spacing, never splits across lines, and in interfaces it means 'more options' (the … menu). On Windows it is Alt+0133; on a Mac, Option+semicolon.
Examples in use
- And then she said… nothing at all
- To be or not to be… that is the question (trimmed)
- Loading…
How to type the ellipsis
Windows
There is no Alt code or direct key for …. In Microsoft Word, type 2026 and press Alt+X to convert it. Everywhere else, click the Copy button at the top of this page and paste it (Ctrl+V) — that always works.
Mac
There is no Option-key shortcut for … on a Mac. Open the Character Viewer with Control+Command+Space, search for "Ellipsis", and double-click to insert — or copy it from this page.
iPhone & Android
Most phone keyboards have no built-in key for …. Open this page on your phone, tap Copy, then paste it into your message or bio. (On Android, Gboard's emoji search finds some symbols by name.)
Linux
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 2026 and press Enter (works in most GTK apps and terminals with IBus). Or copy it from this page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I type … on a keyboard?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 0133 on the numeric keypad. On a Mac, press Option+; (semicolon). Many apps also auto-convert three periods into ….
Is … the same as three dots typed out?
Visually close, technically different: … is a single Unicode character (U+2026) with book-quality spacing, while '...' is three separate periods.
Why does … sometimes show as a box or question mark?
The box (called tofu) means the device or font viewing it has no drawing for U+2026 (Horizontal Ellipsis). The character itself is fine — try a different font or a newer device, or use one of the variants on this page.
Is the Ellipsis free to use?
Yes. … is a standard Unicode text character published in the Unicode Character Database. You may use it in personal and commercial documents, designs and products without permission or payment.
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Data: Unicode Character Database · Page updated 2026-11-13