Unicode is a widely-used computing industry standard that assigns unique numbers to characters and symbols from many different scripts and languages.
Some of these characters are invisible, meaning they do not have a visual representation but can still be used for various purposes.
This article provides a list of some of the most commonly used invisible Unicode characters, including their codes and descriptions of their functions.
Understanding and utilizing these characters can be useful for developers, programmers, and other users who work with text and symbols in digital environments.
Go & Check our
List of Unicode Invisible Characters
Invisible Unicode characters are characters that do not have a visual representation but can still be used for various purposes. These characters are often used in programming, text encoding, and other digital applications. Some of the most commonly used invisible Unicode characters include:
-
Zero-width characters: These characters take up no visible space, but can still affect the layout and appearance of text. Examples include the zero-width space (U+200B) and the zero-width non-joiner (U+200C).
-
Non-visible characters: These characters are not intended to be visible, but can still be used for various purposes. Examples include the line feed (U+000A) and the carriage return (U+000D).
-
Invisible spaces: These characters are used to create spaces in text that are not visible, but can still affect the layout and appearance of text. Examples include the non-breaking space (U+00A0) and the hair space (U+200A).
-
Control characters: These characters are used to control the flow and layout of text. Examples include the tab (U+0009) and the form feed (U+000C).
-
Byte order mark: This character (U+FEFF) is used to indicate the byte order of a text file. It is often used at the beginning of a file to indicate that the file is in UTF-8 or UTF-16 encoding.
-
Invisible formatting characters: These characters are used to format text, but are not visible. Examples include the left-to-right mark (U+200E) and the right-to-left mark (U+200F).
-
Invisible delimiters: These characters are used to separate text, but are not visible. Examples include the word joiner (U+2060) and the line separator (U+2028).
-
Other non-printable characters: There are many other invisible Unicode characters that are used for various purposes. Examples include the object replacement character (U+FFFC) and the replacement character (U+FFFD).
Here is a table of some of the most commonly used unicode invisible character, including their codes and descriptions of their functions:
Character |
Code |
Description |
Zero-width space |
U+200B |
Takes up no visible space, but can still affect the layout and appearance of text |
Zero-width non-joiner |
U+200C |
Takes up no visible space, but can still affect the layout and appearance of text |
Line feed |
U+000A |
Not intended to be visible, but can still be used for various purposes |
Carriage return |
U+000D |
Not intended to be visible, but can still be used for various purposes |
Non-breaking space |
U+00A0 |
Creates spaces in text that are not visible, but can still affect the layout and appearance of text |
Hair space |
U+200A |
Creates spaces in text that are not visible, but can still affect the layout and appearance of text |
Tab |
U+0009 |
Used to control the flow and layout of text |
Form feed |
U+000C |
Used to control the flow and layout of text |
Byte order mark |
U+FEFF |
Indicates the byte order of a text file |
Left-to-right mark |
U+200E |
Used to format text, but is not visible |
Right-to-left mark |
U+200F |
Used to format text, but is not visible |
Uses of Invisible Unicode Characters
Invisible Unicode characters have a variety of uses across different applications, such as programming and text encoding. These characters are often used to add functionality or to improve the appearance and readability of text. Here are a few examples of how invisible Unicode characters are used:
-
Programming: Invisible characters can be used in programming to add functionality to code. For example, zero-width characters can be used to create unique identifiers that are not visible to users but can still be used by the program.
-
Text Encoding: Invisible characters can be used in text encoding to improve the appearance and readability of text. For example, non-breaking spaces can be used to prevent lines of text from breaking in undesirable places, while invisible delimiters can be used to separate text into distinct sections.
-
Other Applications: Invisible characters can also be used in other applications, such as in digital art and design, discord username, instagram names and Fortnite profile names.
For example, zero-width characters can be used to create unique patterns or shapes that are not visible to the naked eye but can still be used to add functionality to a design.
Conclusion
Invisible Unicode characters are an essential part of digital environments, and they play an important role in programming, text encoding, and other applications.
These characters are not visible to the human eye, but they can still be used to add functionality and improve the appearance of text.
They can be used to create unique identifiers, add structure to code, prevent lines of text from breaking in undesirable places, and much more.
Secondly, invisible Unicode characters can be used to create unique patterns and shapes in digital art and design.
They can also be used to improve the overall readability and functionality of text in digital environments.