Developer Reference
HTML Entities Reference
HTML entity codes for symbols, currency, arrows, and punctuation. Look up named and numeric character entities free.
HTML entities are codes that represent special characters and symbols in web content. Developers use them to display characters that are reserved in HTML, unavailable on keyboards, or need rendering consistency across browsers and devices.
Common symbols
| Character | Named entity | Numeric | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
& | & | & | Ampersand |
< | < | < | Less-than |
> | > | > | Greater-than |
" | " | " | Double quote |
' | ' | ' | Apostrophe |
| |   | Non-breaking space |
© | © | © | Copyright |
® | ® | ® | Registered trademark |
™ | ™ | ™ | Trademark |
€ | € | € | Euro |
£ | £ | £ | Pound sterling |
¥ | ¥ | ¥ | Yen |
° | ° | ° | Degree |
± | ± | ± | Plus-minus |
× | × | × | Multiplication |
÷ | ÷ | ÷ | Division |
Arrows & punctuation
| Character | Named entity | Numeric | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
← | ← | ← | Left arrow |
→ | → | → | Right arrow |
↑ | ↑ | ↑ | Up arrow |
↓ | ↓ | ↓ | Down arrow |
… | … | … | Horizontal ellipsis |
— | — | — | Em dash |
– | – | – | En dash |
• | • | • | Bullet |
“ | “ | “ | Left double quote |
” | ” | ” | Right double quote |
How this reference is used
- Displaying currency symbols like €, £, ¥ in product prices or international content
- Inserting mathematical symbols and operators (±, ×, ÷, √) in technical documentation
- Rendering directional arrows and decorative symbols in UI and navigation
- Escaping reserved HTML characters like <, >, & when displaying code samples
- Adding copyright, trademark, and publication marks (©, ®, ™) in footers and content
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between named and numeric entities?
Named entities use human-readable names (like © for ©), while numeric entities use character codes (© for © or © for hex). Both are valid; named entities are easier to remember, numeric codes work everywhere.
Do I need to use entities for all special characters?
No. If your HTML file is UTF-8 encoded, you can paste most symbols directly (©, €, → work fine). Use entities only for reserved characters (<, >, &, "), non-breaking spaces, or when direct character input is problematic.
Why does my entity not render?
Entities must end with a semicolon (© not ©). Numeric entities need the ampersand, hash or x, digits, and semicolon. Ensure your file encoding is UTF-8 and your browser supports the character.