read

Syntax

UPPERCASE words are placeholders to replace. Brackets in the syntax line describe optional arguments; do not type those brackets literally.

read [-r] VARIABLE

Example

IFS= read -r note
printf "%s\n" "$note"

Expected result

Reads a line you type, then prints it.

Notes and traps

-r preserves backslashes. IFS= prevents trimming leading and trailing IFS whitespace for this read.

Related commands

Related tasks may need different flags and have different semantics. Check the entry before translating a command between shells.

Updated 13 September 2026. Examples describe the expected behavior; not every platform is available for execution testing.