HTML Entity for Subscript Three (₃)

Beginner
⏱️ 5 min read
📚 Updated: Aug 2025
🎯 1 Code Example
Unicode U+2083
HTML Entity for subscript three (₃) tutorial illustration

What You'll Learn

How to display the subscript three (₃) in HTML using numeric character references (hex and decimal) and a CSS escape for generated content.

This character belongs to the Superscripts and Subscripts Unicode block and is commonly used for chemical formulas, math notation, molecular notation, and technical writing.

⚡ Quick Reference — ₃ Entity

Unicode U+2083

Superscripts & Subscripts block

Hex Code ₃

Hexadecimal reference

HTML Code ₃

Decimal reference

Named Entity —

No named entity for ₃

Reference Table
Name           Value
────────────   ──────────
Unicode        U+2083
Hex code       ₃
HTML code      ₃
Named entity   (none)
CSS code       \2083
1

Complete HTML Example

This example demonstrates ₃ using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, and a CSS content escape on a pseudo-element:

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
 <style>
  #point:after{
   content: "\2083";
  }
 </style>
</head>
<body>

<p>Subscript Three using Hexa Decimal: &#x2083;</p>
<p>Subscript Three using HTML Code: &#8323;</p>
<p id="point">Subscript Three using CSS Entity: </p>

</body>
</html>
Try It Yourself

🌐 Browser Support

The ₃ character (Unicode U+2083) is supported in all modern browsers. Rendering depends on font support for Superscripts and Subscripts (U+2070–U+209F).

Chrome1+
Firefox1+
Safari1+
Edge12+
Opera4+
Android4.4+
iOS Safari1+

👀 Live Preview

See ₃ rendered in common formula-style contexts:

Chemical formula H₂O₃
Variable index x₃
Large glyph ₃
Monospace a₃ + b₃

🧠 How It Works

1

Hexadecimal Code

&#x2083; references Unicode 2083 in hexadecimal to display ₃ in HTML.

HTML markup
2

Decimal HTML Code

&#8323; uses the decimal value 8323 for the same character.

HTML markup
3

CSS Entity

\2083 is used in CSS (typically in the content property) to generate ₃ in pseudo-elements.

CSS stylesheet
=

Same visual result

All methods render ₃. Unicode U+2083 belongs to Superscripts and Subscripts.

✅

Use Cases

Subscript three (₃) is commonly used in the following scenarios:

🧪 Chemical Formulas

Molecular formulas and compound notation where subscripts indicate counts.

📐 Math Notation

Indices, sequences, and variable subscripts like x₃ and a₃.

📝 Footnotes

Reference markers in technical writing.

💻 Number Bases

Notation like 10₃ for base-3 in educational content.

🎨 Typography

Single subscript digit without using <sub>.

💡 Best Practices

Do

  • Use &#x2083; or &#8323; consistently (no named entity)
  • Use <sub> for semantic subscript text, and ₃ for a single digit
  • Ensure fonts support Superscripts/Subscripts for consistent rendering
  • Add context for accessibility when the meaning matters (e.g., “x sub 3”)

Don’t

  • Use CSS escapes like \2083 directly in HTML content
  • Mix subscript entities with normal digits in the same formula inconsistently
  • Assume every font renders ₃ identically
  • Use ₃ for multi-character subscripts (use <sub>)

Key Takeaways

1

Use numeric references to render ₃ in HTML

&#x2083; &#8323;
2

For CSS, use the escape in the content property

\2083
3

Unicode U+2083 is part of Superscripts and Subscripts

4

There is no named HTML entity for ₃

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Use &#x2083; (hex) or &#8323; (decimal) in HTML. In CSS, use \2083 in the content property. All methods render ₃.
U+2083 (hex 2083, decimal 8323) in Superscripts and Subscripts.
No. Use numeric references like &#x2083; or &#8323;.
Use ₃ when you need a single subscript digit character. Use <sub> when you need semantic subscript text (multiple characters or words).
HTML references (&#8323; / &#x2083;) go in markup. The CSS escape \2083 is used in stylesheets for pseudo-element content. Both render ₃.

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About the author

Mari Selvan M P
Mari Selvan M P 🔗

Developer, cloud engineer, and technical writer

  • Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
  • Focus Full Stack Development, AWS, and Developer Education

I write practical tutorials so students and working developers can learn by doing—from databases and APIs to deployment on AWS.

AWS Certified Developer – Associate (Credly)

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Roman Numeral Three (Ⅲ) Superscript Three (³)