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Space character

ASCII Code: 32•Category: control

The space character is the invisible foundation of readable text, serving as the primary word separator in written language and the most frequently used character in digital communication.

Technical Details

ASCII Code: 32
HTML Entity:  
Hexadecimal: 0x20
Binary: 00100000
Octal: 40

Usage & Examples

Programming

char symbol = ' '; // ASCII 32

HTML/Web

  or

Common Uses

spacewhitespaceseparatortypographyreadabilityformatting

How to Type This Character

Windows

Alt Code:

Hold Alt and type32 on numeric keypad

Character Map:

Search "Character Map" in Start menu

Mac

Character Viewer:

Press Ctrl +Cmd +Space

Copy & Paste:

Easiest method - copy from this page!

💡 Pro tip: The fastest way is to bookmark this page or copy the character from our ASCII library!

Related Characters

About the Space character

Typographic Foundation

The space character enables word separation and text readability across all written languages using Latin scripts. It represents the pause between words that allows human cognition to parse meaning from continuous text streams.

Digital Significance

As the most common character in digital text, spaces account for approximately 15-20% of all characters in typical documents. They're essential for search engines, text processing algorithms, and natural language processing systems.

Programming Implications

In programming, spaces affect code structure, string processing, and user interface design. They determine readability in source code and functionality in languages where whitespace has syntactic meaning (Python, YAML).

Accessibility Standards

Proper spacing is crucial for accessibility, helping screen readers parse text correctly and ensuring readability for users with dyslexia or other reading difficulties. It directly impacts user experience across digital platforms.

History of the Space character

200 BCE

Ancient Writing Systems

Early writing systems like Greek and Latin used various methods to separate words, including raised dots (interpuncts) and different spacing techniques, laying groundwork for modern word separation.

600-800 CE

Medieval Manuscripts

Irish and English scribes systematically began separating words with spaces, revolutionizing readability and making texts more accessible to broader audiences.

1450

Printing Press Standardization

Gutenberg's printing press standardized consistent spacing between words, establishing typographic conventions that continue to influence modern text design and readability.

1963

ASCII Implementation

The space character was assigned ASCII code 32, making it the first printable character in the ASCII table and establishing its fundamental role in computer text processing.

1990s

Web Standards

HTML and CSS formalized space handling in web documents, creating standards for how browsers render whitespace and establishing the foundation for modern web typography.

Cultural Impact

The space character enabled the democratization of literacy by making texts easier to read, contributing to the spread of education and information that shaped modern civilization.

Usage Examples

Text Processing

Example

word1 word2 word3 (spaces enable tokenization and parsing)

Essential for natural language processing and search

Programming

Example

function name() { return value; } // proper code spacing

Code readability and some languages' syntax requirements

Typography

Example

Proper spacing between words improves reading comprehension by 23%

Professional document design and user experience

Data Analysis

Example

CSV parsing: 'field1, field2, field3' requires space handling

Data processing and database management systems