# \quad

Used to insert a one-em horizontal space between parts of a math formula or displayed equation.

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

## Metadata

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

## Syntax

### base

Argument specification: ``

Used to insert a one-em horizontal space between parts of a math formula or displayed equation.

### textmacros

Argument specification: ``

Insert a 1em horizontal space in text to separate words, phrases, or inline elements.

## Examples

```latex
a \quad b
```

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

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

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Ctext%7Ba%5Cquad+b%7D)

## Package variants

| Package | Argument specification | Allowed mode | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| base |  | math | Used to insert a one-em horizontal space between parts of a math formula or displayed equation. |
| textmacros |  | text | Insert a 1em horizontal space in text to separate words, phrases, or inline elements. |

## Renderer support

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

## Usage frequency

<0.01% of formulas in the measured corpus contain this entry, rank 170 of 263 entries with frequency data.

## In TeXForm

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

### [base/double-quad-to-qquad](https://texform.dev/rules/base/double-quad-to-qquad)

Merge two adjacent quads into one qquad for authoring normalization.

Level: authoring. Fidelity: render.

```latex
\quad\quad
```

→

```latex
\qquad
```

```latex
A\quad\quad B
```

→

```latex
A\qquad B
```

### [base/quad-drop](https://texform.dev/rules/base/quad-drop)

Drop quad in math mode and collapse each text-mode quad run to one ordinary space.

Level: equiv. Fidelity: reading.

```latex
\quad
```

→

```latex

```

```latex
A\quad B
```

→

```latex
AB
```

## Equivalent forms

```latex
\hspace{1em}
```

exact. 

```latex
\hspace{1em}
```

exact. 

## See also

- [\\,](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/-2c-)
- [\\;](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/-3b-)
- [\\:](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/-3a-)
- [\\!](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)
- [\\thinspace](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/thinspace)

## Test cases

### base

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

### textmacros

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