You can type three dots to mark an elision or continuation in your texts… or insert a typographically correct and handsome ellipsis character. Find out here how to type an ellipsis ( … ) on Linux using KDE and Gnome.
First, Teeth of Iron
Would you gnaw through a tree’s trunk with your bare teeth or with a tool made at least in part of metal, say iron?
So would beavers, of course. Beaver teeth get their characteristic color from embedded iron: it renders them both a yellowy orange and durably strong.
Now, if you have cut through a particularly tough and convoluted branching sentence, you can replace what you have extracted with a slim and slender ellipsis:
How to Type an Ellipsis ( … ) on Linux
Using the English (Macintosh) Keyboard Layout
Time needed: 2 minutes
To insert an ellipsis character ( … ) swiftly on Linux:
- Make US-English (Macintosh) the keyboard layout for typing.
Here’s how: To change keyboard layouts on Linux, you can use both the system menu and keyboard shortcuts with Gnome and KDE.
Here’s why: The Mac keyboard layout offers a direct key combination to insert the three-dots ellipsis.. - Put the text cursor where you want to insert the ellipsis.
Here’s where:
- Press AltGr ; (semicolon) or Option ;.
Using a Character Picker
To find and copy an ellipsis for inserting anywhere on Linux using the Gnome and KDE character maps:
- Open KCharSelect on KDE or Gnome Characters.
- Search for
ellipsis. - Select and copy the horizontal ellipsis symbol (Unicode code point U+2026).
Other ellipses: You can choose to copy other ellipses as well, of course, like the middle or vertical ellipsis characters.
- Paste it where desired in your document.
Using the Compose Key
To input the ellipsis symbol on Linux using a character combination and the Compose key:
- Enable and configure Compose key support for Linux.
- Press Compose.
- Now type two dots (..).
Here’s what happens: The two full stops will be replaced with one three-dot ellipsis.
How to Type an Ellipsis on Linux: FAQ
Can I also copy the ellipsis for pasting?
Yes.
You can copy the various ellipses (including those not available through direct keyboard input) using the following table and paste them where desired:
Ellipsis … | |
Vertical ellipsis ⋮ | |
Middle ellipsis ⋯ | |
Diagonal upwards ellipsis ⋰ | |
Diagonal downwards ellipsis ⋱ |
Typesetting? How to Insert a Vertical Ellipsis in LaTeX
(How to Type an ellipsis on Linux tested with Gnome 46 and KDE 6; first published December 2024)