Combining breve (U+0306) is a combining mark in the Combining Diacritical Marks block. It does not stand alone like a normal letter — it stacks above the character that comes before it. Example: a + ̆ renders as ă (same look as precomposed ă).
Remember
Character combining breve (after a base)
Unicode U+0306
Hex entity ̆
Decimal ̆
CSS escape \0306
Named entity (none)
Example ă → ă
Not the same ˘ U+02D8 (spacing breve)
Prefer a precomposed letter (e.g. ă / ă) for everyday text. Use U+0306 when you need to compose accents, work with NFD text, or attach a breve to a base that has no single precomposed form.
Breve using Hex Code: ă
Breve using HTML Code: ă
Breve using CSS Entity: ă
Typed directly: ă
How It Works
1. Hex: write the base letter, then ̆ → ă becomes ă.
2. Decimal: same mark as 774 → ă. Same result as hex.
3. CSS: put base + escape in one string: content: "a\0306". #point::after appends that sequence after the paragraph text.
4. Typed: in UTF-8 you can type a then the combining breve. Order must stay base first, mark second.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with combining breve.
Order
Base letter first
Write ă, never put U+0306 before the letter you want to accent.
Named?
No named entity for U+0306
Use numeric forms. ă is for precomposed ă (U+0103), not the combining mark.
˘
Not spacing breve
Spacing breve ˘ (U+02D8) stands alone. U+0306 must follow a base character.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\0306 belongs in CSS strings. ̆ / ̆ belong in HTML.
Fonts
Combining support varies
Some fonts stack poorly. If layout looks wrong, prefer a precomposed letter for display text.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ̆, not ̆.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Combining breve (U+0306) and its numeric entity forms (̆, ̆, CSS \\0306) are supported in all mainstream browsers. Stacking quality depends on font support for combining marks.
✓ Universal support
Breve (U+0306)
Encode with hex, decimal, or CSS escape after a base letter — same combining mark 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+0306 / entitiesFull support
Bottom line: Prefer precomposed letters for normal prose. Use ̆ or ̆ after a base letter when you need the combining mark, and \\0306 only inside CSS content strings.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: combining breve is U+0306 (decimal 774).
HTML: base first, then ̆ or ̆ (e.g. ă).
CSS: use "a\0306" (or another base) inside content.
Default: use precomposed ă / ă for everyday text when you can.
One line:U+0306 → after a base letter as ̆ / ̆ / CSS \0306.
Frequently Asked Questions
Place ̆ (hex) or ̆ (decimal) immediately after a base letter — for example ă for ă. In CSS, use content: "a\0306". There is no named HTML entity for U+0306.
U+0306 (hex 0306, decimal 774). It belongs to the Combining Diacritical Marks block (U+0300–U+036F) and stacks above the preceding base character.
No. Use numeric references like ̆ or ̆. For the precomposed letter ă, you can use ă (U+0103) instead of a + U+0306.
Use U+0306 when composing accents dynamically, for linguistic/NFD text, or bases without a precomposed form. For normal prose, the precomposed character (e.g. ă / ă) is usually simpler.
HTML entities (̆ or ̆) go in markup after the base letter. The CSS escape \0306 goes in stylesheet strings (usually content on ::before/::after), typically as "a\0306".
U+0306 is a combining mark that attaches to the previous character. U+02D8 (breve) is a spacing modifier that stands alone. Do not use them interchangeably.
🤔
Did you know?
Combining breve is Unicode U+0306 (decimal 774). It is a combining mark — place it after a base letter (e.g. ă → ă). HTML5 has no named entity for U+0306. It is not spacing breve (U+02D8 ˘).
