Enable "MathML (experimental; no images)" or "Client side MathJax rendering" in Special:Preferences → Apperance → Math. Then preview a page with the contents <math>a\ b \quad xy</math>
I expect to see more spacing between "a" and "b" than between "x" and "y", but it's actually the same spacing.
The issue is that \ is translated into <mspace linebreak="newline"> instead of <mphantom> </mphantom> to ensure it has the same width as a space character.
Firefox rendering :


