Latin small letter alpha (ɑ) is Unicode U+0251 in the IPA Extensions block. In the International Phonetic Alphabet it marks the open back unrounded vowel. It is not the same character as Greek small letter alpha (α, U+03B1 / α).
Remember
Character ɑ
Unicode U+0251
Hex entity ɑ
Decimal ɑ
CSS escape \0251
Named entity (none)
Not the same Greek α → α (U+03B1)
All numeric forms produce the same glyph: ɑ. Prefer typing ɑ in UTF-8 pages when you can; use entities for CSS content, generated markup, or when encoding must be explicit.
Reference
Quick Reference
One table for every form you will actually use.
Form
Code
Where it goes
Direct character
ɑ
HTML text (UTF-8)
Hex entity
ɑ
HTML markup
Decimal entity
ɑ
HTML markup
CSS escape
\0251
Stylesheet content
Named entity (U+0251)
—
Not defined in HTML5
Greek α (related)
α / α
Greek text / math — different character
When to Use Which
Situation
Use
IPA / phonetic transcription
Type ɑ or ɑ
Greek letter or math α
α (U+03B1) — not U+0251
Need an entity in HTML source
ɑ or ɑ
Generated text via ::before / ::after
content: "\0251"
Looking for α for IPA ɑ
Wrong character — use numeric form for U+0251
See it
Live Preview
Latin small letter alpha in common study contexts.
Inline IPA/fɑːðə/ · father
Large glyphɑ
vs. Greek αLatin IPA: ɑ (U+0251) | Greek: α (U+03B1)
vs. reverse ɒɑ (U+0251) | ɒ (U+0252)
With entitiesHex: ɑ | Decimal: ɑ
Code
Complete HTML Example
One page that shows Latin small letter alpha with hex, decimal, CSS escape, and a typed character. Use View Output or open the live editor.
Hex + Decimal + CSS + Typed
Four ways to produce ɑ in a single document.
html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Alpha (ɑ) in HTML</title>
<style>
#point::after {
content: "\0251";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Alpha using Hex Code: ɑ</p>
<p>Alpha using HTML Code: ɑ</p>
<p id="point">Alpha using CSS Entity: </p>
<p>Typed directly: ɑ</p>
</body>
</html>
Alpha using Hex Code: ɑ
Alpha using HTML Code: ɑ
Alpha using CSS Entity: ɑ
Typed directly: ɑ
How It Works
1. Hex:U+0251 → ɑ in HTML. The browser turns it into ɑ.
2. Decimal: same code point as 593 → ɑ. Same result as hex.
3. CSS: use \0251 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ɑ after the paragraph text.
4. Typed ɑ: best for normal UTF-8 text. All four lines show the same letter.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with the alpha (ɑ) entity.
Greek
Do not use α
α is Greek α (U+03B1), not Latin IPA ɑ (U+0251).
Named?
No named entity for ɑ
HTML5 does not define a named entity for U+0251. Use numeric forms.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\0251 belongs in CSS. ɑ / ɑ belong in HTML.
Fonts
Use IPA-capable fonts
Some UI fonts omit IPA Extensions. Prefer fonts that cover phonetic symbols.
ɒ
Not the same as reverse alpha
ɒ (U+0252) is turned alpha — a different IPA vowel.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ɑ, not ɑ.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Latin small letter alpha (U+0251) and its numeric entity forms (ɑ, ɑ, CSS \\0251) are supported in all mainstream browsers. Glyph availability depends on font support for the IPA Extensions block.
✓ Universal support
Alpha (ɑ)
Type ɑ, or encode with hex, decimal, or CSS escape — same letter everywhere encoding is supported.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerAll versions
Yes
U+0251 / entitiesFull support
Bottom line: Use a typed ɑ for normal UTF-8 text. Prefer ɑ or ɑ in HTML when encoding must be explicit, and \\0251 only inside CSS content.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: Latin small letter alpha is U+0251 (decimal 593).
HTML: use ɑ or ɑ when you need an entity.
CSS: use \0251 inside content for generated text.
Watch out:α is Greek α — not IPA ɑ.
One line:U+0251 → type ɑ, or encode as ɑ / ɑ / CSS \0251.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ɑ (hex), ɑ (decimal), or the CSS escape \0251 in the content property. All render ɑ. You can also paste ɑ directly if your file is UTF-8. There is no named HTML entity for U+0251.
U+0251 (hex 0251, decimal 593). Unicode names it Latin small letter alpha. It belongs to the IPA Extensions block (U+0250–U+02AF).
No. Use numeric references like ɑ or ɑ. The named entity α is for Greek small letter alpha (α, U+03B1) — a different character.
Use ɑ (U+0251) for IPA and phonetic transcription (open back unrounded vowel). Use Greek α / α for Greek text, math variables, and classical Greek content.
HTML entities (ɑ or ɑ) go in markup. The CSS escape \0251 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ɑ.
ɒ is Latin small letter turned alpha (U+0252) — the IPA open back rounded vowel. It is a different character from ɑ (U+0251).
🤔
Did you know?
Latin small letter alpha is Unicode U+0251 (decimal 593) in the IPA Extensions block. It is the IPA symbol for the open back unrounded vowel (as in many pronunciations of English father). HTML5 has no named entity for ɑ — do not confuse it with Greek α (α, U+03B1).
