Narrow No-Break Space (U+202F) | Keep Your Text Together

The narrow no-break space (U+202F) is used for non-breaking spacing in compact layouts. Learn how it works.

Table of Contents

What Is Narrow No-Break Space?

The Narrow No-Break Space (U+202F) is a specialized Unicode character that combines two key properties:

  • Narrow width (narrower than standard no-break space)
  • Non-breaking behavior (prevents unwanted line breaks)

Key Features

  • Width: Approximately 3/18 of an em (between thin space and regular space)
  • Non-collapsing in HTML (preserves spacing)
  • Used primarily for linguistic and typographic precision

Character Details

Property Value
Unicode U+202F
HTML Entity  
CSS Code \202F
ALT Code Not available
Keyboard Entry Depends on OS/IME

Primary Use Cases

1. French Typography (Espace fine insécable)

html

20 000 €

article 123

2. Mathematical and Scientific Notation

html

π ≈ 3.14

v = d/t

3. Currency and Unit Formatting

html

50 km/h

99 USD

How to Type Narrow No-Break Space?

1. Keyboard Input Methods

  • Windows:
    • Alt+8239 (Numpad required)
    • French Canadian keyboard: Ctrl+Shift+Space
  • Mac:
    • Option+Space (with French keyboard layout)
    • Character Viewer (Search “Narrow No-Break”)
  • Linux: Ctrl+Shift+U, then 202F

2. Code Implementation

html

Reference number

css

.currency::after {
 content: '\202F''€';
}

3. Copy-Paste Method

Copy this character: “?” (select between quotes)

Comparison With Similar Spaces

Character Unicode Width Breaking Primary Use
Narrow No-Break U+202F ~3/18 em No French typography, units
No-Break Space U+00A0 1 em No General non-breaking
Thin Space U+2009 1/6 em Yes Small separation
Medium Space U+205F 4/18 em Yes Mathematical expressions

Technical Considerations

Font Support

  • Well-supported in modern fonts
  • Falls back to standard space in older systems
  • Test with fonts like Cambria, Times New Roman

Accessibility

  • Screen readers typically ignore
  • Doesn’t affect text-to-speech parsing
  • Preferred over multiple regular spaces

Best Practices

? Use for linguistic precision in French/Russian
? Excellent for unit/value pairs (100 km)
? Perfect for citation formatting (Art. 123)
? Avoid in general text (use regular spaces)
? Don’t use for visual alignment (use CSS instead)

Common Problems Fix

Why isn’t my narrow no-break space working?
Check:

  1. Font support (try different fonts)
  2. Character encoding (ensure UTF-8)
  3. Application limitations (some web apps may strip)

How to convert existing spaces?

javascript

// Convert regular spaces before units
text.replace(/(\d)\s([km€])/g, '$1\u202F$2');

Does this affect SEO?
No impact – treated as whitespace by search engines