HTML Character CodesEntity, Decimal and Hex Table

The HTML standard defines more than 2,100 named character references, yet most pages use fewer than fifty of them. Kwebby's HTML Character Codes table collects 49 of the most useful characters in one searchable list. Each row shows the character, its name, the named entity, the decimal code and the hex code, and one click copies the code you need. This guide shows how to read the table, which form to pick, and which mistakes break the output.

Key Takeaways

• Kwebby's HTML Character Codes table lists 49 common characters with a name, a named entity, a decimal code and a hex code for each.
• You can search by name, symbol, entity or number, and clicking a code copies it to your clipboard.
• HTML offers three forms for one character: named (©), decimal (©) and hexadecimal (©). All three display the same symbol.
• The 49 rows are a shortlist. The WHATWG HTML Standard lists more than 2,100 named references if you need a rare one.
• Reserved characters such as <, > and & need a reference whenever they appear as visible text.
• With UTF-8 declared, you can type most symbols directly and keep references for reserved or hard-to-type characters.

What Is the Kwebby HTML Character Codes Table?

Kwebby's HTML Character Codes table is a free lookup tool that shows the entity name, decimal code and hex code for common HTML characters, with a live preview of each one. HTML character codes, also called character references or entities, are escape sequences that stand for a character in your markup. Search for the symbol you need and click a code to copy it.

The WHATWG HTML Standard publishes the full table of named references and the code points they map to. Kwebby's list is a practical subset of that table, shown with the decimal and hex forms.

Key Features and How It Works

Five columns for every character

Each row has a Char column with a live preview, a Name column, an Entity column for the named form, a Decimal column and a Hex column. Seeing all forms side by side lets you pick the one your editor or template handles best.

Search by name, symbol or entity

The search box accepts part of a name such as copy, the symbol itself such as ©, an entity such as &, or a number such as 169. It matches as you type and ignores letter case. One row, the beamed eighth notes ♫, has no named entity, so its Entity column reads "none".

Click to copy

Click any code to copy it to your clipboard. The button reads "Copied" for a moment. That removes the typos that creep in when you retype ™ by hand.

A shortlist, not the whole standard

The table shows 49 characters. They cover the reserved markup characters, the non-breaking space, currency signs, typography marks, arrows, card suits, a few math symbols and Greek letters. Here is a sample:

For a character outside the shortlist, look it up in the WHATWG table and use its decimal or hex code.

Why Character Codes Matter

Character codes let you show characters that HTML would otherwise treat as markup, and characters your keyboard cannot type. A literal < starts a tag, and a literal & starts a reference, so showing either as text needs < or &. MDN's glossary entry on character references lists <, >, & and quotes as the characters you must escape.

Numeric references have one more advantage. A reference such as ä points to a Unicode code position and does not depend on the document's encoding, as Jukka Korpela's guide to character references explains. That makes numeric forms a safe fallback for characters without a name.

How to Use the HTML Character Codes Table

1. Find your character. Scroll the table, or type a name, symbol, entity or number in the search box.
2. Compare the forms. Read the Entity, Decimal and Hex columns for that row.
3. Click the code you want. The tool copies it to your clipboard.
4. Paste it into your HTML. Place it in your markup, template or CMS field, and keep the semicolon at the end.
5. Check the result. Open the page and confirm the symbol appears. If you see raw text like ©, the code was encoded twice.

Best Practices for HTML Character Codes

Always end the reference with a semicolon

Write © and not &copy. Korpela notes the semicolon is needed whenever the next character is a letter, and it is mandatory in XHTML and XML. Writing it every time avoids the whole question.

Pick the form that suits the job

Use a named entity when readability matters, because € is easier to scan than €. Use a decimal or hex code when a character has no name or when you want a form that does not depend on the document encoding.

Declare UTF-8 and type common characters directly

The W3C recommends UTF-8 as the encoding for web pages and says to declare it with <meta charset="utf-8"> inside the first 1024 bytes of the file. Read the W3C guidance on declaring encodings for the exact placement. With that in place, you can type é or € straight into the page and save references for reserved characters, invisible characters and symbols your keyboard lacks.

Check that a name shows the symbol you expect

Some names look obvious and are not. In the WHATWG table, ☆ is the outline star ☆, while the filled star ★ is ★ or ★. Kwebby's table lists the filled star with ★. When in doubt, paste the reference into a test page, or use the decimal code.

Use the non-breaking space on purpose

  keeps two words on one line and does not collapse the way normal spaces do. Use it for that. Do not build layout gaps from rows of  , because CSS spacing is easier to maintain.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving out the semicolon.
• Encoding an entity a second time, so © becomes ©.
• Typing < or & in visible text without a reference.
• Using a name from memory without checking the symbol it renders.

Common Use Cases

• Footers. Add ©, ® and ™ to copyright and brand lines.
• Pricing tables. Insert currency signs such as €, £, ¥ and ¢.
• Code tutorials. Show <, > and & as visible text.
• Typography. Set em dashes, en dashes and ellipses in templates that do not save UTF-8 cleanly.
• Decorative lists. Use arrows, check marks and card suits as list markers.

Related Kwebby Tools

• HTML Encoder converts a whole block of text into entities at once, which beats copying codes one by one.
• Decimal to ASCII turns decimal values into characters, so you can check what a numeric code means.
• URL Encoder/Decoder handles the percent-encoding that links need, a different job from HTML entities.
• Binary / Text Converter shows the same characters as binary, hex, octal and decimal.
• Free Developer Tools Online lists the rest of the encoding and formatting tools on Kwebby.

Final Thoughts

HTML character codes solve two small problems: showing characters that HTML reserves, and typing symbols your keyboard lacks. Kwebby's table gives you 49 common ones with every form in one row and copy on click. Search for the character, copy the code that fits your project, and test it in the page. For a full block of text, run it through the HTML Encoder instead.