HTML Entity for Double Vertical Line (‖)
What You'll Learn
How to display the Double Vertical Line (‖) in HTML using hexadecimal, decimal, the named entity ‖, and CSS escape methods. This character is U+2016 (DOUBLE VERTICAL LINE) in the General Punctuation block (U+2000–U+206F)—used for vector norms (e.g. ‖x‖), parallel notation, legal citations, and visual separators.
Render it with ‖, ‖, ‖, or CSS escape \2016. Do not confuse with the ASCII pipe | (U+007C) or the parallel-to operator ∥ (∥, U+2225). See also broken vertical bar.
⚡ Quick Reference — Double Vertical Line
U+2016General Punctuation block
‖Hexadecimal reference
‖Decimal reference
‖HTML5 named entity for U+2016
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+2016
Hex code ‖
HTML code ‖
Named entity ‖
CSS code \2016
Related U+007C = Bar (|); U+2225 = Parallel (∥)Complete HTML Example
This example demonstrates the Double Vertical Line (‖) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, the named entity ‖, and a CSS content escape:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
#point:after{
content: "\2016";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Double Vertical Line using Hexadecimal: ‖</p>
<p>Double Vertical Line using HTML Code: ‖</p>
<p>Double Vertical Line using HTML Entity: ‖</p>
<p id="point">Double Vertical Line using CSS Entity: </p>
</body>
</html>🌐 Browser Support
U+2016 is widely supported in modern browsers when rendered with a font that includes General Punctuation:
👀 Live Preview
See the Double Vertical Line (‖) in common contexts:
🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
‖ uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 2016 to display the Double Vertical Line. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.
Decimal HTML Code
‖ uses the decimal Unicode value 8214 to display the same character.
Named HTML Entity
‖ is the HTML5 named entity for U+2016. It is easy to read in source and resolves to the same character (‖).
CSS Entity
\2016 is used in CSS stylesheets, particularly in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::before and ::after.
Same visual result
All four methods produce: ‖. Unicode U+2016. Pipe: | (U+007C). Parallel operator: ∥ (∥, U+2225).
Use Cases
The Double Vertical Line (‖) commonly appears in:
Vector and matrix norms in linear algebra (e.g. ‖x‖).
Parallel lines or relationships in geometry and technical docs.
Separate volume and page numbers in court and legal references.
Dividers and separators in layouts, documents, and design.
Double bar lines in music notation and score display.
Math, science, and linguistics content with proper punctuation symbols.
💡 Best Practices
Do
- Use
‖for readable markup, or‖/‖ - Use fonts with General Punctuation coverage (Cambria Math, STIX, system UI fonts)
- Add
aria-labelwhen the symbol conveys meaning (e.g. “norm”) - Distinguish ‖ (U+2016) from
|(U+007C, single bar) - Distinguish ‖ from ∥ (
∥, parallel-to operator) - Use
\2016only inside CSScontent
Don’t
- Confuse
‖(‖) with the ASCII pipe| - Use ∥ when you need the parallel-to operator instead of ‖
- Put CSS escape
\2016in HTML text nodes - Forget UTF-8 (
<meta charset="utf-8">) - Assume decorative fonts include General Punctuation glyphs
Key Takeaways
Named entity available: ‖
‖ ‖For CSS stylesheets, use the escape in the content property
\2016Unicode U+2016 DOUBLE VERTICAL LINE
Pipe: U+007C via | or |
Four methods, one glyph — widely supported in modern browsers
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
‖ (hex), ‖ (decimal), ‖ (named entity), or \2016 in CSS content. All produce ‖.U+2016 (DOUBLE VERTICAL LINE). General Punctuation block (U+2000–U+206F). Hex 2016, decimal 8214. Used for norms, parallel notation, legal citations, and separators.‖, ‖, or ‖) go in markup. The CSS escape \2016 is used in stylesheets, typically in the content property of pseudo-elements.‖ is easier to read in source than ‖ or ‖, but all produce ‖. ‖ is the standard named entity for U+2016.Explore More HTML Entities!
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