What is ?
is the HTML entity for a non-breaking space — a space character that prevents the browser from inserting a line break at that position. It looks identical to a normal space but keeps the words on either side together on the same line. The numeric equivalent is  .
Common uses: keeping a number and its unit together (10 km), preventing a name from wrapping (Mr. Smith), or adding visual padding in table cells. For layout spacing, use CSS instead.
How to add a space in HTML
— non-breaking space. Keeps two words on the same line. The most common HTML space code. — en space, roughly half an em wide. — em space, equivalent to a tab stop in typography. — thin space, used around em dashes in typographic contexts.- CSS — for visual spacing,
padding,margin,gap, andletter-spacingare the right approach.
When to use HTML entities
- Reserved HTML characters —
<,>,&, and"must be escaped as<,>,&, and"to display literally. - HTML symbols — mathematical symbols, currency signs, arrows, and special characters can be inserted as named or numeric entities.
- Copyright and trademark —
©(©),®(®), and™(™) are the most commonly needed symbol entities.
Named vs. numeric entities
Named entities like © are easier to read. Numeric entities express the Unicode code point in decimal (©) or hexadecimal (©). All three produce the same output: ©.
Frequently asked questions
What does mean?
stands for non-breaking space. It inserts a space (Unicode U+00A0) that the browser will not use as a line-break point and will not collapse with adjacent whitespace. It is the most commonly looked-up HTML entity.
What is & in HTML?
& is the HTML entity for the ampersand character &. Because & starts every entity sequence, any literal ampersand in HTML content must be written as & to avoid being parsed as an entity.
How do I write the copyright symbol in HTML?
Use © or the numeric equivalent ©. Both render as ©. In a UTF-8 document you can also paste © directly — modern browsers handle it correctly either way.
What is the difference between and a regular space?
A regular space is a line-break opportunity — the browser may wrap there. is a non-breaking space — the browser keeps the words joined. A regular space also collapses (multiple spaces become one in HTML); does not collapse.