echo [ -neE ] [ arg ... ] Write each arg on the standard output, with a space separating each one. If the -n flag is not present, print a newline at the end. echo recognizes the following escape sequences: \a bell character \b backspace \c suppress subsequent characters and final newline \e escape \f form feed \n linefeed (newline) \r carriage return \t horizontal tab \v vertical tab \\ backslash \0NNN character code in octal \xNN character code in hexadecimal \uNNNN unicode character code in hexadecimal \UNNNNNNNN unicode character code in hexadecimal The -E flag, or the BSD_ECHO option, can be used to disable these escape sequences. In the latter case, -e flag can be used to enable them. Note that for standards compliance a double dash does not termi- nate option processing; instead, it is printed directly. How- ever, a single dash does terminate option processing, so the first dash, possibly following options, is not printed, but ev- erything following it is printed as an argument. The single dash behaviour is different from other shells. For a more por- table way of printing text, see printf, and for a more control- lable way of printing text within zsh, see print.