OS Manuals

/usr/bin/echo

GNU core utilities

From coreutils 9.12-r7 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running echo --help (exit 0). permalink

Also provided by 1 other package version
Usage: /usr/bin/echo [SHORT-OPTION]... [STRING]...
  or:  /usr/bin/echo LONG-OPTION
Echo the STRING(s) to standard output.

  -n     do not output the trailing newline
  -e     enable interpretation of backslash escapes
  -E     disable interpretation of backslash escapes (default)
      --help
         display this help and exit
      --version
         output version information and exit

If -e is in effect, the following sequences are recognized:

  \\      backslash
  \a      alert (bell)
  \b      backspace
  \c      produce no further output
  \e      escape
  \f      form feed
  \n      new line
  \r      carriage return
  \t      horizontal tab
  \v      vertical tab
  \0NNN   byte with octal value NNN (1 to 3 digits)
  \xHH    byte with hexadecimal value HH (1 to 2 digits)

Your shell may have its own version of echo, which usually supersedes
the version described here.  Please refer to your shell's documentation
for details about the options it supports.

Consider using the printf(1) command instead,
as it avoids problems when outputting option-like strings.

Report bugs to: <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/echo>
or available locally via: info '(coreutils) echo invocation'
Options (5)
OptionDescriptionSource
-ndo not output the trailing newlinehelp + man
-eenable interpretation of backslash escapeshelp + man
-Edisable interpretation of backslash escapes (default)help + man
--helpdisplay this help and exithelp + man
--versionoutput version information and exithelp + man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.