HTML Entity for Alpha Reverse (ɒ)
What You'll Learn
How to display Latin small letter turned alpha (ɒ) in HTML using numeric references or a CSS escape. Unicode’s official name is Latin small letter turned alpha (U+0252); it is often informally called alpha reverse and is used in the IPA for the open back rounded vowel.
The character sits in the IPA Extensions block (U+0250–U+02AF). Use ɒ or ɒ in markup; there is no standard short named HTML entity for this letter. In CSS content, use a hex escape such as \0252 or \000252. Do not confuse ɒ with Greek alpha (α, U+03B1) or Latin alpha (ɑ, U+0251).
⚡ Quick Reference — Alpha Reverse (ɒ)
U+0252IPA Extensions
ɒHexadecimal reference
ɒDecimal reference
—Use numeric references (no standard short name)
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+0252
Hex code ɒ
HTML code ɒ
Named entity (none standard)
CSS code \0252Complete HTML Example
This example shows ɒ (Latin small letter turned alpha) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, and a CSS content escape on a pseudo-element:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
#point:after{
content: "\0252";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Alpha Reverse using Hexa Decimal: ɒ</p>
<p>Alpha Reverse using HTML Code: ɒ</p>
<p id="point">Alpha Reverse using CSS Entity: </p>
</body>
</html>🌐 Browser Support
Numeric references and CSS escapes for U+0252 are supported in all modern browsers. Final appearance depends on fonts that cover the IPA Extensions block (U+0250–U+02AF):
👀 Live Preview
See ɒ in sample phonetic-style strings (rendering depends on font):
ɒ or ɒ in UTF-8 text.🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
ɒ references Unicode 0252 in hexadecimal. The x prefix marks a hex numeric character reference.
Decimal HTML Code
ɒ is the decimal code point 594 for the same letter.
CSS Escape
\0252 (or \000252) in content on ::before / ::after emits U+0252 without raw UTF-8 in HTML.
Same code point
All paths expose U+0252 (IPA Extensions, U+0250–U+02AF). Official name: Latin small letter turned alpha. There is no standard short named HTML entity; use numbers or UTF-8.
Use Cases
Latin small letter turned alpha (ɒ, U+0252) fits these kinds of content:
Transcriptions for the open back rounded vowel when your chart uses ɒ.
Pronunciation keys and etymology notes in plain HTML.
Courseware that contrasts ɒ with ɑ, 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
ɒ/ɒin hand-authored HTML (no short named entity) - Pick an IPA-capable font stack when ɒ must match textbook charts
- Test with the same fonts your readers use; many system fonts still render ɒ acceptably
- Use numeric references in generated markup or XML-first pipelines if needed
- Use
\0252or\000252only in CSScontent, not inside HTML text nodes
Don’t
- Confuse ɒ (U+0252) with Greek α (U+03B1) or Latin ɑ (U+0251)
- Use a math-only font that omits IPA Extensions if ɒ 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)
- Rely on a non-existent standard short named entity for U+0252
Key Takeaways
Two numeric references render ɒ (U+0252)
ɒ ɒIn CSS, use a hex escape in content on pseudo-elements
\0252Unicode U+0252 — Latin small letter turned alpha
No standard short named entity — use numbers or UTF-8
IPA Extensions block (U+0250–U+02AF); pair with an IPA-capable font when possible
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
ɒ (hex) or ɒ (decimal) in text. For CSS content, escapes such as \0252 or \000252 work. It is a full letter, not a combining mark.U+0252 (hex 0252, decimal 594). Official name: Latin small letter turned alpha. Block: IPA Extensions (U+0250–U+02AF).U+03B1 (α). Latin turned alpha ɒ is U+0252 for IPA; different code point, different typographic role.ɒ or ɒ in text nodes. CSS uses escapes such as \0252 inside content rules. Same character; different syntax layer.Explore More HTML Entities!
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