The empty string has several properties: |ε| = 0. Its string length is zero. ε ⋅ s = s ⋅ ε = s. The empty string is the identity element of the concatenation operation. The set of all strings forms a free monoid with respect to ⋅ and ε. ε R = ε. Reversal of the empty string produces the empty string. The empty string precedes any.