# \mskip

Manual math spacing between atoms using an explicit dimension.

https://texform.dev/latex/commands/mskip

## Metadata

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

## Syntax

### base

Argument specification: `m:L`

Manual math spacing between atoms using an explicit dimension.

### textmacros

Argument specification: `m:L`

Used to insert an explicit skip amount written as a dimension value.

## Examples

```latex
\mskip 2mu
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cmskip+2mu)

```latex
\mskip{2mu}
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cmskip%7B2mu%7D)

```latex
\text{\mskip 1em}
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Ctext%7B%5Cmskip+1em%7D)

```latex
\text{\mskip{1em}}
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Ctext%7B%5Cmskip%7B1em%7D%7D)

## Package variants

| Package | Argument specification | Allowed mode | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| base | m:L | math | Manual math spacing between atoms using an explicit dimension. |
| textmacros | m:L | text | Used to insert an explicit skip amount written as a dimension value. |

## Renderer support

| Package | MathJax | KaTeX | XeTeX |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| base | full | full | none |
| textmacros | full | full | none |

## In TeXForm

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

### [base/mskip-to-mspace](https://texform.dev/rules/base/mskip-to-mspace)

Collapse mskip to the explicit mspace command.

Level: faithful. Fidelity: reading.

```latex
\mskip #1
```

→

```latex
\mspace{#1}
```

```latex
\text{Left\mskip 1em Right}
```

→

```latex
\text{Left\mspace{1em}Right}
```

## Equivalent forms

```latex
\mspace #1
```

exact. MathJax maps both names to the same parse method with no extra unit check.

```latex
\hskip{5mu}
```

exact. 

```latex
\mspace{#1}
```

exact. 

## See also

- [\\hskip](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/hskip)
- [\\hspace](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/hspace)
- [\\kern](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/kern)
- [\\mkern](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/mkern)
- [\\mspace](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/mspace)

## Test cases

### base

| Input | Case | MathJax | KaTeX | XeTeX |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| \mskip{1pt} | Positive: baseline | Pass | Pass | Fail |
| \mskip 1pt | Positive: bare[0] | Pass | Pass | Fail |
| \mskip{a} | Negative: neg:L[0] | Fail | Fail | Fail |

### textmacros

| Input | Case | MathJax | KaTeX | XeTeX |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| \mskip{1pt} | Positive: baseline | Pass | Pass | Fail |
| \mskip 1pt | Positive: bare[0] | Pass | Pass | Fail |
| \mskip{a} | Negative: neg:L[0] | Fail | Fail | Fail |