The bullet character, the middle dot and a real list are three different things. Knowing which to use prevents most formatting problems.
The short version
Start here if you only have one minute. The full guide below explains each point.
Three different characters
Bullet, middle dot and hyphen each have their own job.
Real lists beat typed ones
They carry structure that a character cannot.
One space after
And none before. That fixes most typed lists.
01
Three characters, three jobs
The bullet at U+2022 is a list marker. The middle dot at U+00B7 is a separator inside a line. The hyphen is neither, though it gets used as both.
Choosing correctly matters because software treats them differently. A bullet at the start of a line often triggers automatic list formatting; a middle dot does not.
- • bullet, U+2022, starts a list item
- · middle dot, U+00B7, separates items in a line
- ‣ triangular bullet, U+2023, sub-level marker
- ◦ white bullet, U+25E6, second-level marker
02
When to use a real list instead
In any document, email or web page that supports proper list markup, use it. A real list carries structure that a typed bullet cannot.
Screen readers announce a real list and its item count. A typed bullet is just a character, and its meaning is invisible to anything but a human eye.
✦A typed bullet looks like a list and is not one. Where the software offers a real list, the typed character is always the worse choice.
03
Where the typed character wins
Plain-text fields have no list markup at all. Social bios, chat messages, spreadsheet cells and code comments all fall into this group.
This is exactly where a bullet character earns its place, because there is no better option available.
04
Getting the spacing right
One space after the bullet, none before. That single rule fixes most of what makes typed lists look amateur.
For nested levels, use two spaces of indent and switch the marker. Keeping the same marker at every level defeats the point of nesting.
05
The alignment problem
In a proportional font, a wrapped line returns to the left margin rather than lining up under the text. A typed list wraps badly for exactly this reason.
Keep typed list items short enough not to wrap. If they wrap, you needed a real list.
06
Typing one
Windows uses Alt 0149. macOS has a direct shortcut on Option and 8. Linux uses the standard Unicode shortcut with 2022.
In Word and most editors, typing a hyphen and a space at the start of a line converts to a proper bullet automatically, which is usually what you want.
Which marker for which level
A conventional hierarchy for typed lists. The point is consistency; these particular characters simply have the widest support.
| Level | Character | Code point | Alt code |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | • | U+2022 | Alt 0149 |
| Second | ◦ | U+25E6 | Alt 9702 |
| Third | ‣ | U+2023 | Alt 8227 |
| Inline separator | · | U+00B7 | Alt 0183 |
The inline separator is not a list marker. Using it at the start of a line is the most common mix-up, and it renders too faintly to read as a bullet.
07
Copy the symbols discussed in this guide
This guide explains the topic. Use bullet point symbols for the main copyable set, compare it with text divider symbols, and browse punctuation symbols for another useful angle. Each collection includes searchable Unicode names and HTML references.
08
Questions, answered
What is the bullet point symbol called?+
BULLET, at U+2022. The similar-looking middle dot is a separate character, U+00B7, meant for use inside a line rather than at the start of one.
Should I type bullets or use a list?+
Use a real list wherever the software supports one. Typed bullets are for plain-text fields such as bios, chat and spreadsheet cells.
How do I type a bullet point?+
Alt 0149 on Windows, Option and 8 on macOS, or Ctrl+Shift+U then 2022 on Linux and ChromeOS.
09
Sources and review notes
Examples were checked as plain Unicode text and reviewed for readability, normalization and likely font variation.