HTML Symbols

HTML Symbols, Entity Names, and Numeric Character Codes

HTML symbols can be written directly as Unicode characters or represented with named entities, hexadecimal character references, and decimal character references. This guide lists commonly used mathematical, arrow, currency, reserved, and typographic symbols with codes that can be placed in HTML content.

How HTML Symbol Codes Work

A named HTML entity begins with an ampersand and ends with a semicolon, as in ©. A decimal reference adds # before the Unicode code point, while a hexadecimal reference adds #x.

<p>Named entity: &amp;copy;</p>
<p>Decimal reference: &amp;#169;</p>
<p>Hexadecimal reference: &amp;#x00A9;</p>

All three lines display the copyright symbol: ©. Named entities are readable, but not every Unicode symbol has one. Decimal and hexadecimal references can represent any valid Unicode code point.

Use UTF-8 for consistent character handling and declare it near the beginning of the document head:

<meta charset="UTF-8">

Common Mathematical HTML Symbols

Character	Entity	Hex Code	Decimal Code	Description
∀	∀	∀	∀	For all
∂	∂	∂	∂	Partial differential
∃	∃	∃	∃	There exists
∅	∅	∅	∅	Empty set
∇	∇	∇	∇	Nabla
∈	∈	∈	∈	Element of
∋	∋	∋	∋	Contains as member
∏	∏	∏	∏	N-ary product
∑	∑	∑	∑	N-ary summation
∗	∗	∗	∗	Asterisk operator
√	√	√	√	Square root
∝	∝	∝	∝	Proportional to
∞	∞	∞	∞	Infinity
∠	∠	∠	∠	Angle
∧	∧	∧	∧	Logical and
∨	∨	∨	∨	Logical or
∩	∩	∩	∩	Intersection
∪	∪	∪	∪	Union
∫	∫	∫	∫	Integral
∴	∴	∴	∴	Therefore
∼	∼	∼	∼	Tilde operator
≅	≅	≅	≅	Congruent to
≈	≈	≈	≈	Almost equal to
≠	≠	≠	≠	Not equal to
≡	≡	≡	≡	Identical to
≤	≤	≤	≤	Less than or equal to
≥	≥	≥	≥	Greater than or equal to

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HTML Arrow Symbols and Codes

Arrow symbols are commonly used for directional labels, text annotations, breadcrumbs, and explanatory content. When an arrow functions as an interactive control, include a descriptive text label or accessible name rather than relying on the symbol alone.

Character	Entity	Hex Code	Decimal Code	Description
←	←	←	←	Leftwards arrow
↑	↑	↑	↑	Upwards arrow
→	→	→	→	Rightwards arrow
↓	↓	↓	↓	Downwards arrow
↔	↔	↔	↔	Left-right arrow
↵	↵	↵	↵	Downwards arrow with corner leftwards
⇐	⇐	⇐	⇐	Leftwards double arrow
⇑	⇑	⇑	⇑	Upwards double arrow
⇒	⇒	⇒	⇒	Rightwards double arrow
⇓	⇓	⇓	⇓	Downwards double arrow
⇔	⇔	⇔	⇔	Left-right double arrow

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HTML Currency Symbols and Codes

Currency symbols should be accompanied by enough context to identify the intended currency. For example, the dollar sign may refer to several currencies, so financial content may also need an ISO currency code such as USD, CAD, or AUD.

Character	Entity or Numeric Reference	Hex Code	Decimal Code	Description
$	$	$	$	Dollar sign
¢	¢	¢	¢	Cent sign
£	£	£	£	Pound sign
¤	¤	¤	¤	Currency sign
¥	¥	¥	¥	Yen sign
€	€	€	€	Euro sign
₩	₩	₩	₩	Won sign
₵	₵	₵	₵	Cedi sign
₹	₹	₹	₹	Indian rupee sign
₫	₫	₫	₫	Dong sign

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Reserved HTML Characters and Entity Codes

Some characters have a structural meaning in HTML. Use character references when a reserved character must appear as text, particularly for the less-than sign and ampersand.

Character	Named Entity	Hex Code	Decimal Code	Description
&	&	&	&	Ampersand
<	&lt;	&#x003C;	&#60;	Less-than sign
>	&gt;	&#x003E;	&#62;	Greater-than sign
“	&quot;	&#x0022;	&#34;	Quotation mark
‘	&apos;	&#x0027;	&#39;	Apostrophe

For example, write the following references when an HTML element must be shown as visible text rather than interpreted by the browser:

<p>Use &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt; to begin a strong element.</p>

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Common Typographic HTML Symbols

Character	Entity	Hex Code	Decimal Code	Description
©	©	©	©	Copyright sign
®	®	®	®	Registered sign
™	™	™	™	Trademark sign
§	§	§	§	Section sign
¶	¶	¶	¶	Pilcrow or paragraph sign
•	•	•	•	Bullet
…	…	…	…	Horizontal ellipsis
–	–	–	–	En dash
—	—	—	—	Em dash
	 	 	 	Non-breaking space

Named Entities versus Copy-and-Paste HTML Symbols

With a UTF-8 document, most symbols can be copied and pasted directly into HTML. Character references remain useful when the character is reserved by HTML, difficult to type, visually ambiguous in source code, or must be generated from a known Unicode code point.

• Use a named entity when a familiar and valid entity name improves source readability.
• Use a decimal or hexadecimal reference when the symbol has no named HTML entity.
• End character references with a semicolon to avoid ambiguous parsing.
• Do not use a symbol as a substitute for meaningful text when its purpose may be unclear.

HTML Symbols, Fonts, and Accessibility

A browser can display a Unicode symbol only if an available font contains the required glyph. Appearance may vary between operating systems, browsers, and fonts. Test uncommon symbols on the devices supported by the website.

Decorative symbols should not create distracting screen-reader output. For functional symbols, provide an accessible name that describes the action. A right-arrow button, for example, should be labelled “Next” rather than depending on the arrow character to communicate its purpose. Use an icon or SVG when consistent shape, sizing, or branding is required; use an HTML symbol when a text character is semantically and visually sufficient.

HTML Symbols FAQs

What is an HTML entity?

An HTML entity is a named character reference such as © or →. The browser replaces the reference with its corresponding character when rendering the page.

How do I add an arrow symbol in HTML?

Enter the arrow directly in a UTF-8 document or use its entity or numeric reference. For example, →, →, and → all display a rightwards arrow: →.

Should I use a named, decimal, or hexadecimal HTML code?

Use whichever form makes the source easiest to maintain. Named entities are readable but are not available for every symbol. Decimal and hexadecimal references both identify a Unicode code point and render the same character.

Why does an HTML symbol appear as a box or missing character?

The active font may not contain that glyph, or the document may use an incorrect character encoding. Declare UTF-8, verify the code point, and test with a font that supports the required Unicode range.

Can HTML symbols replace icons?

They can replace simple text-like icons when variations in font rendering are acceptable. Use SVG or a suitable icon asset when exact appearance, complex graphics, or consistent cross-platform rendering is required.

HTML Symbols Editorial QA Checklist

• Verify that each displayed symbol matches its Unicode hexadecimal and decimal code point.
• Confirm that every listed named entity renders the same character shown in its table row.
• Check that numeric references contain #, hexadecimal references contain #x, and all references end with a semicolon.
• Test reserved-character examples to ensure the browser displays them as text instead of interpreting them as markup.
• Confirm that the page declares UTF-8 and that uncommon symbols render in the website’s supported fonts.
• Provide text labels or accessible names when arrows or other symbols are used as interactive controls.
• Identify ambiguous currency symbols with a currency name or ISO code where the surrounding text does not make the currency clear.