Middle dot (·) in HTML
The middle dot, or interpunct, is a small dot set at mid height. Its named reference is · and its code point is U+00B7, and it is the conventional inline separator in running text.
At a glance
- Character
- ·
- Named entity
- ·
- Decimal reference
- ·
- Hex reference
- ·
- Unicode code point
- U+00B7
- Unicode name
- MIDDLE DOT
- In the entity reference
- Punctuation
In detail
The interpunct is smaller and lower than the bullet, and that is the whole reason to prefer it inline. Set between a date and a category it reads as a pause; the bullet in the same position reads as a list marker that has escaped. It also sits within the x-height of most typefaces, so it does not push the line box taller the way a larger glyph can.
It carries real orthographic meaning in a few languages, which is worth knowing before you strip it as punctuation noise. Catalan uses it inside the geminated l, written l with the dot and another l, where removing it changes the word. Dictionaries use it to mark syllable boundaries, and classical Latin inscriptions used it as a word separator.
In a user interface it is almost always decoration. Give it aria-hidden and set it with padding rather than literal spaces, for the same reason as any other separator glyph: literal spaces around it can collapse, and they give a text selection a ragged edge when a user drags across the line.
There is a third dot that looks similar and is not this one. The dot operator at U+22C5 is a maths character used for multiplication and it is positioned for algebra, not for prose. If you are writing a product of two variables, that is the character you want; if you are separating an author from a timestamp, this one is.
Examples
<p class="meta">
8 September 2026
<span aria-hidden="true">·</span>
Reference
<span aria-hidden="true">·</span>
4 min read
</p><p>col·lecció</p>
<p>para·lel</p>Here the dot is part of the spelling, not a separator, and must not be stripped.
Things that catch people out
- Text normalisation that removes punctuation will destroy Catalan words containing this character. Exclude it explicitly if your content has any Catalan in it.
- It is easy to confuse with the bullet, the dot operator and the Greek ano teleia in a font specimen. Compare code points, not shapes.
- As a separator with no spacing on either side it collides with descenders and looks like a full stop. Give it at least a quarter em of padding.
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Tools for this
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