Care Of (℅) is the Unicode character at U+2105 in the Letterlike Symbols block (official name: CARE OF). It is the compact letterlike form of c/o, used on addresses when mail goes via another person or organization.
Remember
Character ℅
Unicode U+2105
Hex entity ℅
Decimal ℅
Named entity ℅
CSS escape \2105
All of these produce the same glyph: ℅. Prefer ℅ or a typed ℅ in hand-written HTML; use plain text c/o when the symbol is unclear or unsupported.
Reference
Quick Reference
One table for every form you will actually use.
Form
Code
Where it goes
Direct character
℅
HTML text (UTF-8)
Named entity
℅
HTML markup
Hex entity
℅
HTML markup
Decimal entity
℅
HTML markup
CSS escape
\2105
Stylesheet content
When to use which
Situation
Use
Hand-written HTML
℅ or type ℅
Generated / numeric-only markup
℅ or ℅
Generated text via ::before / ::after
content: "\2105"
Spanish “each” / per-item symbol
Use ℆ (U+2106), not ℅
Symbol missing in a font
Write c/o
See it
Live Preview
Care Of rendered in common writing contexts.
Inline textDeliver ℅ Jane Smith
Large glyph℅
Compared℅ ℆ c/o
Monospacemail ℅ → care of
With entitiesNamed: ℅ | Hex: ℅ | Decimal: ℅
Code
Complete HTML Example
One page that shows Care Of with the named entity, hex entity, decimal entity, CSS escape, and a typed character. Use View Output or open the live editor.
Named + Hex + Decimal + CSS + Typed
Five ways to produce ℅ in a single document.
html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Care Of (℅) in HTML</title>
<style>
#point::after {
content: "\2105";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Care Of using Named Entity: ℅</p>
<p>Care Of using Hex Code: ℅</p>
<p>Care Of using HTML Code: ℅</p>
<p id="point">Care Of using CSS Entity: </p>
<p>Typed directly: ℅</p>
</body>
</html>
Care Of using Named Entity: ℅
Care Of using Hex Code: ℅
Care Of using HTML Code: ℅
Care Of using CSS Entity: ℅
Typed directly: ℅
How It Works
1. Named:℅ is the HTML5 named reference for U+2105 → ℅.
2. Hex:U+2105 → ℅ in HTML. Same glyph as the named form.
3. Decimal: same code point as 8453 → ℅. Same result as hex.
4. CSS: use \2105 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ℅ after the paragraph text.
5. Typed ℅: fine in UTF-8 pages. All five lines show the same glyph.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with Care Of entities.
Named
Use ℅
The HTML5 name is ℅, not &careof;. Always end with ;.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\2105 belongs in CSS. ℅ / ℅ / ℅ belong in HTML.
℅ vs ℆
Different characters
℅ is U+2105 (care of). Cada una ℆ is U+2106.
Fonts
Check the glyph
Letterlike Symbols coverage varies. If ℅ is missing, fall back to c/o.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ℅ and ℅, not bare forms.
Meaning
Addresses only
Use ℅ for “care of,” not for per-item pricing (that’s ℆).
Compatibility
Browser Support
Care Of (U+2105) and its entity forms (℅, ℅, ℅, CSS \\2105) are supported in all mainstream browsers. Glyph shape depends on the font.
✓ Universal support
Care Of (℅)
Type ℅, or encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — same glyph 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+2105 / entitiesFull support
Bottom line: Prefer ℅ or a typed ℅ for addresses. Use decimal when generating markup, and \\2105 only inside CSS content.
Use ℅ (hex), ℅ (decimal), ℅ (named), or the CSS escape \2105 in the content property. All render ℅. You can also paste ℅ directly when your file is UTF-8.
U+2105 (hex 2105, decimal 8453). Unicode names it CARE OF. It belongs to the Letterlike Symbols block.
Yes. ℅ maps to U+2105. Prefer ℅ in hand-written HTML; numeric forms are useful in generated markup.
℅ (U+2105) means care of (c/o). ℆ (U+2106) means cada una (each / per item). They look similar but are different characters.
HTML entities (℅, ℅, or ℅) go in markup. The CSS escape \2105 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ℅.
Use it on mailing addresses and formal correspondence for “care of.” Plain text “c/o” is fine when the symbol is unavailable. Prefer ℆ for Spanish “each” pricing, not ℅.
🤔
Did you know?
Care of is Unicode U+2105 (decimal 8453) — official name CARE OF in the Letterlike Symbols block. HTML’s named reference is ℅. It means “care of” on addresses and is not cada una (U+2106 ℆).
