HTML Entity for Alpha (ɑ)
What You'll Learn
How to display Latin small letter alpha (ɑ) in HTML using numeric references or a CSS escape. Unicode’s official name is Latin small letter alpha (U+0251); it is the IPA letter for the open back unrounded vowel and is often informally called single-story a or script a in phonetics.
The character sits in the IPA Extensions block (U+0250–U+02AF). Use ɑ or ɑ in markup; there is no standard short named HTML entity for ɑ (Greek alpha uses α for a different code point, U+03B1). In CSS content, use \0251 or \000251. Do not confuse ɑ with Greek α (U+03B1) or Latin turned alpha ɒ (U+0252).
⚡ Quick Reference — Alpha (ɑ)
U+0251IPA Extensions
ɑHexadecimal reference
ɑDecimal reference
—Use numeric references (no standard short name)
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+0251
Hex code ɑ
HTML code ɑ
Named entity (none standard; not α)
CSS code \0251Complete HTML Example
This example shows ɑ (Latin small letter alpha) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, and a CSS content escape on a pseudo-element:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
#point:after{
content: "\0251";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Alpha using Hexa Decimal: ɑ</p>
<p>Alpha using HTML Code: ɑ</p>
<p id="point">Alpha using CSS Entity: </p>
</body>
</html>🌐 Browser Support
Numeric references and CSS escapes for U+0251 are supported in all modern browsers. Final appearance depends on fonts that cover the IPA Extensions block (U+0250–U+02AF):
👀 Live Preview
See ɑ in sample phonetic-style strings (rendering depends on font):
ɑ or ɑ in UTF-8 text (not α, which is Greek α).🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
ɑ references Unicode 0251 in hexadecimal. The x prefix marks a hex numeric character reference.
Decimal HTML Code
ɑ is the decimal code point 593 for the same letter.
CSS Escape
\0251 (or \000251) in content on ::before / ::after emits U+0251 without raw UTF-8 in HTML.
Same code point
All paths expose U+0251 (IPA Extensions, U+0250–U+02AF). Official name: Latin small letter alpha. There is no standard short named HTML entity for ɑ; Greek alpha uses α (U+03B1).
Use Cases
Latin small letter alpha (ɑ, U+0251) fits these kinds of content:
Transcriptions for the open back unrounded vowel when your chart uses ɑ.
Pronunciation keys and etymology notes in plain HTML.
Courseware that contrasts ɑ with ɒ, ɔ, and similar vowel letters.
Readable numeric entities when full IPA fonts are loaded.
Character tables for the IPA Extensions block.
Fallback markup when custom IPA input is not available.
Showing IPA coverage in typeface marketing pages.
💡 Best Practices
Do
- Use UTF-8; prefer explicit
ɑ/ɑin hand-authored HTML (no short named entity for ɑ) - Pick an IPA-capable font stack when ɑ must match textbook charts
- Test with the same fonts your readers use; many system fonts still render ɑ acceptably
- Use numeric references in generated markup or XML-first pipelines if needed
- Use
\0251or\000251only in CSScontent, not inside HTML text nodes
Don’t
- Confuse ɑ (U+0251) with Greek α from
α(U+03B1) or with Latin turned alpha ɒ (U+0252) - Use a math-only font that omits IPA Extensions if ɑ is central to your layout
- Expect every casual webfont to match a print IPA chart without testing
- Paste CSS escapes into HTML markup (they belong in stylesheets)
- Use
αwhen you actually need Greek α, not IPA ɑ
Key Takeaways
Two numeric references render ɑ (U+0251)
ɑ ɑIn CSS, use a hex escape in content on pseudo-elements
\0251Unicode U+0251 — Latin small letter alpha
No short named entity for ɑ — α is Greek α (U+03B1)
IPA Extensions block (U+0250–U+02AF); pair with an IPA-capable font when possible
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
ɑ (hex) or ɑ (decimal) in text. For CSS content, escapes such as \0251 or \000251 work. It is a full letter, not a combining mark.U+0251 (hex 0251, decimal 593). Official name: Latin small letter alpha. Block: IPA Extensions (U+0250–U+02AF).U+03B1 (α), usually written as α in HTML. Latin small letter alpha ɑ is U+0251 for IPA; different code point and role.ɑ or ɑ in text nodes. CSS uses escapes such as \0251 inside content rules. Same character; different syntax layer.α only when you intend Greek α (U+03B1).Explore More HTML Entities!
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