Special Characters in HTML

In HTML, special characters are symbols or entities that are not part of the standard keyboard character set or have a reserved meaning in HTML itself. These characters are often referred to as "HTML entities" or "escape characters" because they allow you to display special symbols or reserved characters in a web page.

Understanding how to use special characters in HTML is essential for web developers, as certain characters need to be represented using their entity name or number to avoid errors or unintended behavior in the code.

This chapter will cover everything from basic to advanced topics related to special characters in HTML. You’ll learn what special characters are, how to use them, the various types of HTML entities, and explore examples of how to include them in your web pages.

What Are Special Characters in HTML?

In HTML, special characters (or HTML entities) are used to represent characters that either cannot be typed directly from a keyboard or have a reserved purpose in HTML. For instance, characters like <, >, and & have specific meanings in HTML code. If you were to use these characters directly in a webpage, they might be interpreted incorrectly by the browser.

To represent these characters in a way that the browser can understand, we use special codes or HTML entities. These entities are either named or numerical codes that translate into the character when rendered by the browser.

For example:

  • < (less than) becomes &lt;
  • > (greater than) becomes &gt;
  • & (ampersand) becomes &amp;

Key Takeaway

HTML special characters allow you to display symbols, reserved HTML characters, and accented letters properly in web pages.

Why Are Special Characters Needed?

Special characters are necessary for the following reasons:

  • Reserved HTML Characters: Certain characters like <, >, and & are part of the HTML syntax. Using them directly in your content might confuse the browser, making it think you’re defining an HTML tag or attribute.
  • Extended Character Set: Not all characters are available on the standard keyboard. Special symbols, mathematical symbols, accented characters, and more need HTML entities to be displayed.
  • Cross-Browser Compatibility: HTML entities help ensure that special characters are displayed correctly in all browsers, regardless of platform or device.
  • SEO and Accessibility: Correct use of special characters can improve the accessibility of your content, as screen readers and other assistive devices can interpret them accurately.

HTML Entities: Names vs. Numbers

HTML entities can be represented in two forms:

Named Entities

These are a set of predefined names for characters. Named entities are easier to remember because they describe the symbol they represent.

For example:

  • &lt; for <
  • &gt; for >
  • &amp; for &

Numeric Entities

Numeric entities can be represented using a decimal or hexadecimal value. These are based on the Unicode or ASCII value of the character.

  • Decimal: &#60; for <
  • Hexadecimal: &#x3C; for <

Both named and numeric entities produce the same result when rendered by the browser.

Example

				
					<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>Special Characters in HTML</title>
</head>
<body>
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</html>

				
			

Output

				
					Named entity for less than: <
Numeric entity for less than: <

				
			

Commonly Used Special Characters in HTML

Here is a table of some commonly used HTML special characters:

CharacterEntity NameEntity Number
<&lt;&#60;
>&gt;&#62;
&&amp;&#38;
"&quot;&#34;
'&apos;&#39;

These are the most frequently used entities, especially when writing HTML code, since these characters have special meanings in HTML.

Using Special Characters in HTML Code

When writing HTML code, special characters must be used for certain symbols. For example, if you try to use a < symbol to represent “less than” directly in HTML, the browser will interpret it as the beginning of a tag. Instead, you should use &lt; to represent the less than symbol.

Example

				
					<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>Using Special Characters</title>
</head>
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</html>

				
			

Output

				
					The less-than symbol is written as < in HTML.

				
			

Special Characters for Reserved HTML Symbols

Reserved HTML symbols like <, >, and & are used in HTML syntax. To display them as text rather than as part of the markup, you must use their respective entity.

Reserved Symbols

  • < becomes &lt;
  • > becomes &gt;
  • & becomes &amp;
  • " becomes &quot;

Example

				
					<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>Reserved Symbols</title>
</head>
<body>
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</html>

				
			

Output

				
					Use < and > for less than and greater than symbols.

				
			

Special Characters for Mathematical Symbols

HTML supports a variety of mathematical symbols using special characters. These are useful when writing equations or displaying numeric data.

Common Math Symbols

SymbolEntity NameEntity Number
±&plusmn;&#177;
×&times;&#215;
÷&divide;&#247;
&radic;&#8730;

Special Characters for Currency Symbols

HTML provides special characters for displaying currency symbols as well. These symbols are critical for financial and ecommerce websites.

CurrencySymbolEntity NameEntity Number
Dollar$&dollar;&#36;
Euro&euro;&#8364;
Pound£&pound;&#163;
Yen¥&yen;&#165;

Special characters in HTML are essential for displaying reserved symbols, foreign characters, mathematical symbols, and more. By using HTML entities, you can ensure your content is properly rendered across all browsers. Whether you're writing a simple web page or handling complex data involving symbols, understanding and using HTML special characters is critical for producing well-formed and readable content. Happy coding !❤️

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