HTML Entity for Dot Below (U+0323)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+0323

HTML Entity for combining dot below (U+0323) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is Dot Below?

Dot below is the Unicode character at U+0323 in the Combining Diacritical Marks block. Official name: COMBINING DOT BELOW. It is a combining mark that attaches under the previous base letter — for example ạ → ạ.

Remember

Mark          (combining ̣)
Unicode       U+0323
Hex entity    &#x0323;
Decimal       &#803;
CSS escape    \0323
Named entity  (none)
Prefer when   ạ ẹ ọ (precomposed) exist

Prefer ̣ or ̣ immediately after the base letter (no named form). For Vietnamese, prefer precomposed letters like ạ, ẹ, ọ when available.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	None	—
Hex entity	`̣`	After a base letter in HTML (preferred)
Decimal entity	`̣`	After a base letter in HTML
Direct character	Base + `̣`	HTML text (UTF-8)
CSS escape	`\0323`	Stylesheet `content` (after a letter)

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Vietnamese ạ ẹ ọ (when available)	Type precomposed `ạ` `ẹ` `ọ`
Letter with no precomposed form	Base + `̣`
Combining dot above (centered)	`U+0307` — e.g. `ė`
Dot above right	U+0358
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "a\0323"`

See it

Live Preview

Combining dot below rendered on base letters and precomposed forms.

Built with U+0323 ạ ẹ ọ

Precomposed ạ ẹ ọ

Large glyph ạ

Compared ạ ė O͘ ạ

With entities Hex: ạ | Decimal: ạ

Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows Dot Below with hex, decimal, CSS escape, a typed combining form, and a precomposed alternative. Use View Output or open the live editor.

Hex + Decimal + CSS + Typed + Precomposed

Ways to build ạ and the preferred precomposed ạ.

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Dot Below (U+0323) in HTML</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "a\0323";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Built with Hex: a&#x0323;</p>
  <p>Built with Decimal: a&#803;</p>
  <p id="point">Built with CSS: </p>
  <p>Typed: ạ   ẹ   ọ</p>
  <p>Precomposed (preferred): ạ ẹ ọ</p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Hex: write the base letter, then ̣ → ạ. Preferred when there is no named entity.

2. Decimal: same code point as 803 → ̣ after the base letter. Same result as hex.

3. CSS: use \0323 in content after a letter in the string (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends ạ.

4. Typed: paste the combining mark after a, e, or o in a UTF-8 document.

5. Precomposed: for Vietnamese, prefer ạ ẹ ọ when those characters exist.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Dot Below.

Order

Base letter first

Write ạ, not ̣a. Combining marks attach to the previous character.

Việt

Prefer precomposed when possible

For Vietnamese, type ạ ẹ ọ instead of building with U+0323 when those letters exist.

Not dot above

U+0307 is combining dot above. U+0323 is below. U+0358 is above-right.

Name

No named entity

There is no &dotbelow;. Use ̣ or ̣.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\0323 belongs in CSS strings. ̣ / ̣ belong in HTML after a base letter.

Fonts

Diacritic font coverage

Some fonts omit U+0323. Prefer a font with Combining Diacritical Marks coverage for display.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Combining dot below (U+0323) and its entity forms (̣, ̣, CSS \\0323) are supported in all mainstream browsers. Visible positioning depends on font diacritic coverage.

✓ Universal support

Dot Below (U+0323)

Encode with hex, decimal, CSS escape, or type the combining mark after a letter — same code point everywhere encoding is supported.

100% Browser coverage

Google Chrome Supported

Yes

Microsoft Edge Supported

Yes

Mozilla Firefox Supported

Yes

Apple Safari Supported

Yes

Opera Supported

Yes

Internet Explorer All versions

Yes

U+0323 / entities Full support

Bottom line: Prefer ̣ after a base letter (no named form), or precomposed Vietnamese letters when available. Use \\0323 only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: combining dot below is U+0323 (decimal 803).
HTML: no named entity — use base + ̣ / ̣, or type ạ when available.
CSS: use a letter + \0323 inside content.
Meaning: below combining mark — not U+0307 or U+0358.

One line: U+0323 → base + ̣ / ̣ / CSS \0323 (or type ạ when available).

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display combining dot below (̣) in HTML?

Place ̣ (hex) or ̣ (decimal) after a base letter, type the combining mark in UTF-8 after a letter, or use CSS \0323 in content after a letter. There is no named HTML entity for U+0323.

What is the Unicode value for this mark?

U+0323 (COMBINING DOT BELOW). Hex 0323, decimal 803. It belongs to the Combining Diacritical Marks block (U+0300–U+036F).

Is there a named HTML entity for U+0323?

No. Use numeric forms ̣ or ̣ after a base character, or type the combining mark in a UTF-8 document.

When should I use U+0323 vs precomposed ạ ẹ ọ?

Prefer precomposed Vietnamese letters (ạ ẹ ọ ụ …) for everyday text. Use combining U+0323 when you need a letter with no precomposed form, or when building diacritics dynamically.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for U+0323?

HTML entities (̣ or ̣) go in markup after a base letter. The CSS escape \0323 goes in stylesheet strings (usually content on ::before/::after, after a letter in the string).

Is U+0323 the same as U+0307 or U+0358?

No. U+0323 combines below the letter. U+0307 is combining dot above (centered). U+0358 is combining dot above right.

Did you know?

Dot below is Unicode U+0323 (decimal 803) — a combining mark in the Combining Diacritical Marks block. There is no HTML5 named entity; use ̣ or ̣ after a base letter (e.g. ạ → ạ). For Vietnamese, prefer precomposed letters like ạ ẹ ọ when they exist.

Next: Dot Minus

Learn the HTML entity for dot minus (U+2238).

Dot Minus tutorial →

About the author

Mari Selvan M P 🔗

Developer, cloud engineer, and technical writer

Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
Focus Full Stack Development, AWS, and Developer Education

I write practical tutorials so students and working developers can learn by doing—from databases and APIs to deployment on AWS.

AWS Certified Developer – Associate (Credly)

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