HTML Entity for Asterisk Below (U+0359)
What You'll Learn
How to insert the combining Asterisk Below mark (Unicode U+0359) in HTML using numeric character references or CSS. This is a combining diacritical—it should follow a base letter or symbol so browsers position the asterisk-like mark underneath.
It belongs to the Combining Diacritical Marks block. There is no standard named HTML entity; use ͙, ͙, or \0359 in stylesheet content when appropriate.
⚡ Quick Reference — Asterisk Below Entity
U+0359Combining Diacritical Marks
͙Hexadecimal reference
͙Decimal reference
—None (use numeric refs)
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+0359
Hex code ͙
HTML code ͙
Named entity (none)
CSS code \0359Complete HTML Example
This example shows the mark alone (for reference) and after a base letter a, which is how combining characters are normally used. The CSS content escape is included for completeness:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
#point:after{
content: "\0359";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Asterisk Below using Hexa Decimal: ͙</p>
<p>Asterisk Below using HTML Code: ͙</p>
<p>With base letter: a͙ and a͙</p>
<p id="point">Asterisk Below using CSS Entity: </p>
</body>
</html>🌐 Browser Support
Numeric references for U+0359 are supported in all modern browsers that support Unicode combining marks:
👀 Live Preview
Combining marks attach to the preceding character. Compare bare vs. combined:
🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
͙ encodes U+0359 in hex. Always place it after the base character in the document stream.
Decimal HTML Code
͙ is the decimal equivalent (85710 = 0x359).
CSS Entity
\0359 can appear in CSS content. Pseudo-elements have no “base letter” in the text sense, so this is mainly for demos; real linguistic text usually uses markup with a base glyph plus ͙.
No named entity
HTML does not define a short name for U+0359. Stick to numeric references in content.
Same code point
All methods reference U+0359. With a base letter you get a single grapheme cluster such as a͙ for display and selection.
Use Cases
The combining asterisk below is used when you need an asterisk-like mark under a base letter:
Transcriptions where a diacritic below the letter carries linguistic meaning.
Philology, linguistics papers, and language documentation with rare diacritics.
Custom editorial marks when Unicode combining marks are preferred over bitmaps.
Pronunciation or variant footnotes implemented as combining marks on headwords.
Minority and historical orthographies built from base letters plus combining marks.
Expose meaning in nearby text or aria-label when the mark is not spoken clearly.
Regression tests for OpenType and web fonts that claim combining-mark coverage.
💡 Best Practices
Do
- Always put
͙immediately after the base character - Pick fonts with solid Combining Diacritical Marks coverage
- Normalize text (NFC/NFD) consistently in CMS pipelines
- Explain unusual marks in body copy for readers
- Prefer real Unicode over images when copy-paste matters
Don’t
- Place the combining mark before the base letter
- Expect a standalone mark in
contentto look like textbook phonetics - Assume every system font stacks the mark identically
- Confuse U+0359 with spacing asterisk U+002A (*) or operator ∗
- Forget screen-reader context for rare diacritics
Key Takeaways
U+0359 is a combining mark—pair it with a base character
͙ ͙Example: a͙ → a͙ in the browser
\0359 (CSS)Block: Combining Diacritical Marks (U+0300–U+036F)
No named HTML entity for this code point
Decimal 857 equals hexadecimal 0359
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
͙ or ͙ right after your base letter (for example a͙). For CSS-only demos you can use \0359 in content.U+0359 (decimal 857). It is listed as “combining asterisk below” in the Unicode standard.\0359 escape in CSS. For real words, HTML with a base letter is usually clearer than a lone pseudo-element.͙, ͙, or a CSS escape.Explore More HTML Entities!
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