HTML Entity for Downward Paired Arrows (⇊)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+21CA

HTML Entity for downward paired arrows (U+21CA) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is Downward Paired Arrows?

Downward paired arrows (⇊) is the Unicode character at U+21CA in the Arrows block. Official name: DOWNWARDS PAIRED ARROWS. It shows two parallel down arrows side by side — useful in logic flows, diagrams, and math.

Remember

Character     ⇊
Unicode       U+21CA
Named entity  &ddarr;
Hex entity    &#x21CA;
Decimal       &#8650;
CSS escape    \21CA
Not the same  ↓ (&darr;) · ⇓ (&dArr;) · ⇈ (&uuarr;)

Prefer &ddarr; in HTML markup (also aliased as &downdownarrows;). You can also type ⇊ in UTF-8, or use numeric forms when needed.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	`&ddarr;`	HTML markup (preferred)
Alias name	`&downdownarrows;`	HTML markup (same glyph)
Direct character	`⇊`	HTML text (UTF-8)
Hex entity	`⇊`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`⇊`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\21CA`	Stylesheet `content`
Plain / double (related)	`↓` / `&dArr;`	Single arrow — not paired

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Two paired down arrows	`&ddarr;` or type `⇊`
Up / left / right paired	`&uuarr;` · `&llarr;` · `&rrarr;`
Plain / double down	`↓` / `&dArr;`
Up/down or right/left pairs	`&udarr;` (⇅) · `&rlarr;` (⇄)
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\21CA"`

See it

Live Preview

Downward paired arrows rendered alone, in a label, and compared with related arrows.

Glyph ⇊

Large glyph ⇊

UI label Both ⇊

Compared ⇊ ⇈ ⇇ ⇉ ↓ ⇓

With entities Named: ⇊ | Hex: ⇊ | Decimal: ⇊

Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows Downward Paired Arrows with named, hex, decimal, CSS escape, and a typed character. Use View Output or open the live editor.

Named + Hex + Decimal + CSS + Typed

Five ways to display ⇊ in HTML and CSS.

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Downward Paired Arrows (U+21CA) in HTML</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\21CA";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Built with Named: &ddarr;</p>
  <p>Built with Hex: &#x21CA;</p>
  <p>Built with Decimal: &#8650;</p>
  <p id="point">Built with CSS: </p>
  <p>Typed: ⇊</p>
  <p>Label: Both &ddarr;</p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Named: &ddarr; is the preferred HTML5 name for U+21CA → ⇊.

2. Hex / decimal: ⇊ and ⇊ insert the same code point.

3. CSS: use \21CA in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends ⇊.

4. Typed: paste ⇊ in a UTF-8 document, or pair it with a label like Both &ddarr;.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Downward Paired Arrows.

Count

Paired ≠ single

&ddarr; is two parallel down arrows. ↓ is one plain arrow. &dArr; is one double-lined arrow.

Alias

Same as &downdownarrows;

&downdownarrows; is an HTML5 alias for the same glyph as &ddarr;.

Family

Matching directions

Use &uuarr;, &llarr;, and &rrarr; for up, left, and right paired arrows.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\21CA belongs in CSS strings. &ddarr; / ⇊ belong in HTML.

Fonts

Arrow font coverage

Some fonts omit paired-arrow glyphs. Prefer a font with solid Arrows-block coverage.

a11y

Add accessible text

A lone paired-arrow glyph can be unclear to screen readers. Pair it with visible text or an aria-label.

Semicolon

End references

Always finish entities with ; — write &ddarr;, not &ddarr.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Downward paired arrows (U+21CA) and its entity forms (&ddarr;, ⇊, ⇊, CSS \\21CA) are supported in all mainstream browsers. Visible glyphs depend on Arrows-block font coverage.

✓ Universal support

Downward Paired Arrows (⇊)

Encode with named, hex, decimal, CSS escape, or type the character — 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+21CA / &ddarr; Full support

Bottom line: Prefer &ddarr; in HTML. Use ⇊ / ⇊ when numeric form is required, and \\21CA only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: downward paired arrows is U+21CA (decimal 8650) — glyph ⇊.
HTML: prefer &ddarr; (alias &downdownarrows;).
CSS: use \21CA inside content for generated text.
Shape: paired &ddarr; ≠ plain ↓ ≠ double &dArr;.

One line: U+21CA → &ddarr; / ⇊ / CSS \21CA.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display ⇊ in HTML?

Use &ddarr; (named), ⇊ (hex), ⇊ (decimal), type ⇊ directly in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \21CA in content. Prefer &ddarr; in normal HTML.

What is the Unicode value for this mark?

U+21CA (DOWNWARDS PAIRED ARROWS). Hex 21CA, decimal 8650. It belongs to the Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF).

Is there a named HTML entity for U+21CA?

Yes. Use &ddarr; or the alias &downdownarrows;. Numeric forms ⇊ and ⇊ also work. Do not use ↓ (plain ↓) or &dArr; (double ⇓).

When should I use U+21CA?

Use it for two parallel down arrows in logic flows, diagrams, and math. Prefer ↓ for a single plain down arrow, and &dArr; for a double-lined single shaft.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for U+21CA?

HTML entities (&ddarr;, ⇊, or ⇊) go in markup. The CSS escape \21CA goes in stylesheet strings (usually content on ::before/::after).

Is &ddarr; the same as ↓ or &dArr;?

No. &ddarr; is ⇊ (U+21CA, two paired down arrows). ↓ is ↓ (U+2193). &dArr; is ⇓ (U+21D3, double-lined single arrow).

Did you know?

Downward paired arrows is Unicode U+21CA (decimal 8650) — glyph ⇊ (DOWNWARDS PAIRED ARROWS) in the Arrows block. HTML5 names it &ddarr; (also &downdownarrows;). Matching directions use &uuarr; (⇈), &llarr; (⇇), and &rrarr; (⇉). Do not confuse with ↓ (↓) or &dArr; (⇓).

Next: Drachma Sign

Learn the HTML entity for drachma sign (U+20AF).

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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.

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