HTML Entities Table

How HTML entities work

A named HTML entity is a short, human-readable code that stands in for a character which is reserved in HTML, hard to type, or simply missing from your keyboard. Each row in the table above shows the character itself, its named form like ©, its decimal numeric form like ©, and a short description. The two codes are interchangeable: © and © both render the same © symbol in a browser. This reference covers 110 of the most commonly used named entities, from basic punctuation to accented letters, arrows, math operators, Greek letters and card suits. Because the table is preloaded as part of the page and the filter runs in your browser, nothing about your searches ever leaves the device.

Named vs numeric entities

Named entities are easier to read and remember, but only a fixed set of characters has a name. Numeric entities reference any Unicode character by its decimal code point, so they are more universal: if a character has no name at all, you can usually still display it with the numeric form. For the five reserved characters — &, <, >, " and ' — you should always use an entity in your markup so the browser doesn't mistake them for tags or attribute delimiters. Every named row in this table also shows its numeric twin, so you can pick whichever form fits your context. To convert whole passages automatically, use our HTML Entities Encoder.

How to use the table

The filter box above accepts any text and narrows the list instantly, with no page reload. It matches case-insensitively against all four fields at once: the entity name, the decimal code point, the description, and the character itself. Type euro to find € (€), 169 to locate the copyright sign by its numeric code, arrow to list every directional arrow, or paste the actual glyph — « or ™ — to see which code produces it. Clearing the box restores the full table. The header row stays pinned while you scroll, so the four columns (character, named code, numeric code, description) remain labelled even on a long list.

A concrete example

Say you're preparing a legal notice in HTML and need ©, the section sign § and a rightwards arrow → on the same page. In a few passes: filter the table by section to copy §, by 169 to grab ©, and by arrow to pick →. Paste each entity into your markup as-is and move on — the codes are self-contained and render identically in every browser. The same routine works when you're setting French text that needs « guillemets » and a € sign, or when a course page must display the multiplication sign × or an ellipsis … correctly on any device, regardless of the reader's keyboard or locale.

What to expect

The widget is a static, curated reference: every entity it contains is preloaded with the page, and filtering never contacts a server — searching is instant, and even works offline once the page has loaded. Coverage is deliberately limited to the groups in the table: Latin-1 punctuation and currency signs, accented letters, dashes and curly quotes, directional and double arrows, common math operators, a few Greek letters, and assorted glyphs such as ♠ ♣ ♥ ♦, ★ and ✓. The full HTML5 named reference runs to thousands of entries; if you need a rarer name, fall back on the numeric form &#N;, which works for any Unicode character by code point. One caveat: the character column depends on the fonts installed in the viewer's browser, so an unusual glyph may appear as a box or a missing symbol on some systems even though the underlying code is correct.

Common problems and fixes

The character shows as a box or question mark? The viewer's browser has no font that covers that glyph. The entity itself is correct — install a Unicode font or pick a different symbol, and the code will render once a supporting font is present.

The filter finds nothing for what I type? The table covers 110 curated entities, matched by name, number, description or character. A rare named entity simply won't be listed here; use the numeric form &#N; instead, which works for any code point.

My entity prints as literal text instead of a symbol? You usually dropped the trailing semicolon or wrote a double ampersand. © requires both the & and the ; — a malformed code is printed as-is on the page.

An ampersand double-encodes in some editors? Some editors and CMSes escape & again when you paste. Prefer the numeric form ©, which has no name to be re-escaped.

Frequently asked questions