Need to indicate a pause or omission in a Google Docs document? Find out here how to insert an ellipsis ( … ) in Google Docs with the keyboard or a menu (and how to stop Google Docs from inserting ellipses automatically).
First, a Void to Fill
The air bubble inside an egg starts out… pretty much not at all. As the egg cools after being laid, its contents shrink relative to the shell, though.
Air seeps in through that porous shell to fill the void.
With that in mind, do you want to create a void of some kind as well, then fill It with dots for air?
How to Insert an Ellipsis ( … ) in Google Docs
Using Google Docs Text Replacement
To insert an ellipsis quickly in Google Docs:
- Type three period marks immediately after each other where you want to insert the ellipsis.
Anywhere: You can enter the ellipsis anywhere you can type text in Google Docs; the periods need not follow whitespace.
Nothing behind: The three dots will be swapped in place and at once with an ellipsis character; you need not press Space or any additional character.
No replacement: If Google Docs does not enter the ellipsis automatically, see below for adding a text substitution.
No, no replacement: Press Backspace immediately after the substitution to undo it.
Add a Text Replacement for the Ellipsis in Google Docs (or Disable Automatic Ellipses)
To set up Google Docs to replace three period signs with an ellipsis:
- Select Tools | Preferences from the menu in Google Docs using a desktop browser.
- Go to Substitutions.
- Enable both Automatic Substitution and the standard substitution for the ellipsis.
Missing substation: If there is no substitution for the ellipsis, type three full stops under Replace and an ellipsis (…) under With for a new substitution.
Ellipsis character: You can copy the ellipsis sign after inserting it using the Special Characters dialog or from the table below.
No auto-ellipses: Here is also where you can disable Google Docs automatically replacing three periods with an ellipsis. - Click OK.
In a Desktop Browser Using the Special Characters Dialog
Time needed: 2 minutes
To insert the ellipsis character ( … ) in a document using Google Docs in a browser:
- Position the text cursor where you want to insert the ellipsis.
That’s where: Ellipses stand for omitted letters and words or, a bit inversely, indicate a pause in the stream of language.
Whitespace around ellipses: Style guides tend to suggest you treat the ellipses like what it replaces, words (or sometimes parts of words). This will often mean whitespace around ellipses and in particular before them; you can also make up your own consistent style for whitespace around ellipses, though.
Omissions: See below for omissions in direct quotes.
My take: I treat the ellipses like a punctuation mark and place no whitespace character before it, but—as with a comma—after it if the sentence continues. - Select Insert | Special Characters in the menu.
Google Docs keyboard shortcut: While inserting special characters has no shortcut in Google Docs, you can also press Ctrl / (Windows, Linux) or Command / (Mac) and start typing
special charactersto find and select the menu item fast, then press Enter to open the dialog. - Select Punctuation and Compatibility for the categories.
Search: You can also click Search by keyword or codepoint and type
ellipsisto find the ellipsis characters quickly. - Click … HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS to insert it.
Keyboard alternative: You can also insert ellipses using the keyboard, of course, if your operating system and keyboard layout allow It (on Windows and on a Mac).
In the Google Docs Apps
To insert an ellipsis ( … ) using the Google Docs app for either Android or iOS:
- Type three periods in succession to have them replaced with an ellipsis or
- use the system keyboard to find and input an ellipsis.
iOS: On an iPhone, you can type an ellipsis using the period key (.).
Android: On an Android device, go to 123 and tap and hold period (.).
How to Insert an Ellipsis ( … ) in Google Docs: FAQ
Can I insert diagonal ellipses as well?
Yes.
To insert a vertically centered horizontal, vertical or diagonal ellipsis in Google Docs:
- Open the Special Characters dialog in Google Docs.
- Type
ellipsisin the Search by keyword field.
Precisely: You can also search with more precision fordiagonal ellipsisorhorizontal ellipsis, of course. - Click the desired ellipsis to insert it.
You will not normally use these ellipses in text, of course. They are useful for omissions in matrices. Unfortunately, inserting a matrix is just about impossible with Google Docs itself; you can turn to a LaTeX add-on such as Auto-LaTeX Equations, though, to insert matrices—including ellipses.
Can I copy and paste ellipses?
Yes.
Copy the ellipsis signs from the table below for inserting in your documents.
Ellipsis … | |
Vertical ellipsis ⋮ | |
Middle ellipsis ⋯ | |
Diagonal upwards ellipsis ⋰ | |
Diagonal downwards ellipsis ⋱ |
(How to insert an ellipsis ( … ) in Google Docs tested with a desktop browser; updated April 2024)