# \:

Adds a medium math space between nearby symbols for manual spacing in formulas.

https://texform.dev/latex/commands/-3a-

## Metadata

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Topic | [Spacing](https://texform.dev/latex/topics/spacing) |
| Packages | base, textmacros |
| Allowed mode | math, text |
| Tags | spacing |
| Commonality | medium |
| Kind | prefix |

## Syntax

### base

Argument specification: ``

Adds a medium math space between nearby symbols for manual spacing in formulas.

### textmacros

Argument specification: ``

Used to insert a medium manual space when slightly more separation than \, is desired inside text fragments.

## Common tasks

### How to add a medium math space

\: is a medium space (same width as \>).

```latex
a\:b
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=a%5C%3Ab)

### How to space a binary relation more loosely

```latex
x \: = \: y+z
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=x+%5C%3A+%3D+%5C%3A+y%2Bz)

## Examples

```latex
a \: b
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=a+%5C%3A+b)

```latex
\text{a\:b}
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Ctext%7Ba%5C%3Ab%7D)

## Package variants

| Package | Argument specification | Allowed mode | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| base |  | math | Adds a medium math space between nearby symbols for manual spacing in formulas. |
| textmacros |  | text | Used to insert a medium manual space when slightly more separation than \, is desired inside text fragments. |

## Renderer support

| Package | MathJax | KaTeX | XeTeX |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| base | full | full | full |
| textmacros | full | full | full |

## Usage frequency

0.54% of formulas in the measured corpus contain this entry, rank 60 of 263 entries with frequency data.

## In TeXForm

TeXForm parses this entry as prefix syntax; the package determines its argument specification.

### [base/small-spacer-merge-to-enspace](https://texform.dev/rules/base/small-spacer-merge-to-enspace)

Merge exact half-em small-spacer chunks into enspace in one pass.

Level: authoring. Fidelity: render.

```latex
\,\,\,
```

→

```latex
\enspace
```

```latex
A\,\,\,B
```

→

```latex
A\enspace B
```

## Equivalent forms

```latex
\>
```

exact. Both base mappings call BaseMethods.Spacer with MATHSPACE.mediummathspace in math mode.

```latex
\>
```

exact. In the textmacros mappings, \: and \> both call Spacer with MATHSPACE.mediummathspace.

## See also

- [\\,](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/-2c-)
- [\\;](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/-3b-)
- [\\!](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/-21-)
- [\\>](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/-3e-)
- [\\enspace](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/enspace)
- [\\negmedspace](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/negmedspace)
- [\\negthickspace](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/negthickspace)
- [\\negthinspace](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/negthinspace)
- [\\qquad](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/qquad)
- [\\quad](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/quad)
- [\\thinspace](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/thinspace)

## Test cases

### base

| Input | Case | MathJax | KaTeX | XeTeX |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| \: | Positive: baseline | Pass | Pass | Pass |

### textmacros

| Input | Case | MathJax | KaTeX | XeTeX |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| \: | Positive: baseline | Pass | Pass | Pass |