HTML Symbols: An Overview

As a tech enthusiast, I often encounter situations while working with HTML where I need to incorporate special characters and symbols. HTML symbols helped me do it very conveniently. You can easily insert a special character or symbol, using HTML symbols that you can’t really type from the keyboard.

A keyboard does not include various symbols and characters such as legal and financial symbols, mathematical functions, and so on. In such cases, the availability of HTML symbols acts as a boon.

In this tutorial, I will illustrate various HTML code for symbols and how you can incorporate these quotes while creating a layout for your webpage.

What are HTML Symbols?

Many wonder, what are HTML symbols and why are they so important? Well, HTML symbols are those characters or mathematical functions that you cannot find directly on the keyboard just by typing them. Furthermore, various legal and financial symbols are also included within HTML symbols.

Major examples of HTML Symbols are © and ® which you have to insert within your webpage with the help of HTML codes and syntax. Otherwise, you won’t be able to include these because the keyboard does not contain special characters.

Hence, if you want to add these symbols to your HTML webpage, then you have to include these special symbols with the help of an HTML entity name, and in case the symbol does not have a specific name, you can use the entity number.

HTML Symbols

Let me provide a detailed HTML symbols list so that you get a good grasp of the major symbols used in HTML and their respective codes.

• Copyright symbol ©

Syntax: ©

Copyright symbol HTML code:

 <p>displaying the copyright sign as: &copy; </p>

• Registered trademark symbol ®

Syntax: ®

Registered symbol HTML code:

<p> displaying the registered trademark sign as: &reg; </p>

• Trademark symbol ™

Syntax: ™

HTML trademark symbol code:

 <p> displaying the trademark sign as: &trade; </p>

• And at symbol @

Syntax: @

HTML @ symbol code:

<p> displaying this special symbol aa: &commat; </p>

• Paragraph symbol ¶

Syntax: ¶

HTML paragraph symbol code:

 <p> displaying the paragraph sign as: &para; </p>

• Section symbol §

Syntax: §

HTML section symbol code:

<p> displaying the section sign as: &sect; </p>

• Double-struck capital C symbol ℂ

Syntax: 𝕔

HTML double-struck capital C code:

 <p> displaying the double-struck capital C sign as: &copf; </p>

• Care of symbol ℅

Syntax: ℅

HTML Care of code:

<p> displaying the care of sign as: &incare; </p>

• Script Capital H symbol ℋ

Syntax: ℋ

HTML script capital H code:

<p> displaying the script capital H sign as: &hamilt; </p>

• Planckh constant symbol ℎ

Syntax: ℎ

HTML Planckh constant code:

<p> displaying the planckh constant sign as: &planckh; </p>

• Script capital I symbol ℒ

Syntax: 𝓁

Script capital I code:

 <p> displaying the script capital I sign as: &lscr; </p>

• Numero symbol №

Syntax: №

HTML numero code:

<p> displaying the numero sign as: &numero; </p>

• Prescription take symbol

Syntax: ℞

HTML prescription take code:

 <p> displaying the prescription take sign as: &rx; </p>

• Double-struck capital Z ℤ

Syntax: 𝕫

Double-struck capital Z code:

<p> displaying the double struck capital Z as: &zopf; </p>

• Inverted ohm symbol ℧

Syntax: ℧

Inverted ohm code:

<p> displaying the inverted ohm sign as: &mho; </p>

• Script capital M symbol ℳ

Syntax: 𝓂

Script capital M code:

<p> displaying the script capital M sign as: &mscr; </p>

• Double-struck Italic small D Symbol

Syntax: ⅆ

Double-struck italic small D code:

<p> displaying the double struck Italic small D sign as: &dd; </p>

• Female symbol ♀

Syntax: ♀

Female symbol code:

<p> displaying the female gender sign as: &female; </p>

• Male symbol ♂

Syntax: ♂

Male symbol code:

<p> displaying the male gender sign as: &male; </p>

• Check mark symbol ✓

Syntax: ✓

Check mark code:

<p> displaying the check mark sign as: &check; </p>

These are the 20 most used HTML symbols that I have experienced in my 10+ years of journey in HTML. However, there are plenty of other symbols which exist.

In this tutorial, I’m trying to cover the most widely used HTML symbols as it is not possible to provide each one of them because there are hundreds and thousands of symbols available.

Also, let me provide you with some symbols along with their syntax in a tabular form by creating certain categories so that you can better understand which symbol falls under which category and how you can use them while creating your HTML webpage.

Currency Symbols

Let me illustrate some of the most common currency symbols in HTML along with their syntax with the help of the below-mentioned HTML symbols chart.

Mathematical Symbols

Here’s presenting the HTML symbols code table for mathematical functions. I’ve curated this tabular chart to provide the most useful mathematical function symbols that you can apply in HTML.

Other Symbols

I have worked with a lot of creative symbols throughout these years. I believe you are also searching for a guide that can help you find and apply numerous other symbols that you want to add to your web page.

Let me walk you through a variety of HTML symbols with the help of the table.

HTML Symbol Example

I have been associated with a law firm for years now and that is why the most commonly used HTML symbol for me has been the copyright symbol. So let me showcase a simple illustration using the copyright symbol so that you can better understand how this concept works:

Code:

<p>This is how you should demonstrate the copyright symbol: &copy;</p>
<p>This is how you should demonstrate the copyright symbol: &#169;</p>

Result:

This is how you should demonstrate the copyright symbol: ©
This is how you should demonstrate the copyright symbol: ©

Summing Up

HTML is a very vast subject and HTML symbols are a significant part of it. In my early days, this complete HTML guide helped me a lot to understand the underlying concepts and how I can conveniently work with various HTML components. The special symbols in HTML play a key role in designing an interactive and informative webpage for the users as I have loved creating such unique web pages throughout these years.

Also, upGrad is an incredible place to start if you are considering pursuing a career in HTML technology. Regardless of which stage you are in your professional journey, upGrad provides top-notch professional online courses crafted and developed by industry experts. upGrad partners with popular universities to offer you the skills and expertise you need to become successful in this sector.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the symbols in HTML?

HTML symbols are the special characters, legal and financial symbols, or mathematical functions that you do not find on the keyboard while typing and hence these symbols have to be included with special quotes and references. The most popular examples are the copyright sign or registered trademark symbol.

2. Why do we use HTML symbols?

Sometimes, we want to insert some specific information into our webpage but that is not available on the keyboard and hence we can’t type the same. In that case, HTML symbols are applied to insert special characters that are not available on the keyboard.

3. How do I use HTML symbols?

There are certain HTML code for symbols and that is the easiest way you could use HTML symbols in our web pages. By applying the entity name or entity number you can incorporate HTML symbols, conveniently.

4. Can HTML symbols be styled like regular text?

To style an HTML symbol just like a regular text, you need to change the font type. In order to do that you can use _{(HTML symbol type)}. I used it in titles and it walked but it won’t really work everywhere.

5. Where can I find a list of HTML symbols and their codes?

It is very easy to find a list of HTML symbols online. There are several websites that contain information regarding the same. I have also provided a list of HTML special symbols in this tutorial.

6. Are HTML symbols supported in all web browsers?

HTML symbols are supported in all the major web browsers such as Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari, iOS for Safari, and Chrome for Android browsers. You can use any of these browsers to make use of HTML symbols in your webpage.