HTML Entity for Equals Colon (≕)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+2255

HTML Entity for equals colon (U+2255) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is Equals Colon?

Equals colon (≕) is the Unicode character at U+2255 in Mathematical Operators. Official name: EQUALS COLON. It places an equals sign before a colon — the reverse of colon equals (≔).

Remember

Character     ≕
Unicode       U+2255
Named entity  &ecolon;
Aliases       &eqcolon;
Hex entity    &#x2255;
Decimal       &#8789;
CSS escape    \2255
Not the same  ≔ (colone) · : · =

Prefer &ecolon; in HTML markup. You can also use ≕ / ≕, or type ≕ in a UTF-8 document.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	`&ecolon;`	HTML markup (preferred)
Named alias	`&eqcolon;`	Same glyph as `&ecolon;`
Hex entity	`≕`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`≕`	HTML markup
Direct character	`≕`	HTML text (UTF-8)
CSS escape	`\2255`	Stylesheet `content`

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Equals colon (≕)	`&ecolon;` or type `≕`
Colon equals (≔)	Colon equals (`&colone;`, ≔)
Ordinary colon	Colon (`:` / `&colon;`)
Ordinary equality	Equal to (`=`)
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\2255"`

See it

Live Preview

Equals colon rendered alone, in a short expression, and compared with related marks.

Glyph ≕

Large glyph ≕

Expression 2 ≕ 3

Compared ≕ ≔ : =

With entities Named: ≕ | Hex: ≕ | Decimal: ≕

Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows Equals Colon 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>Equals Colon (U+2255) in HTML</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\2255";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Built with Named: &ecolon;</p>
  <p>Built with Hex: &#x2255;</p>
  <p>Built with Decimal: &#8789;</p>
  <p id="point">Built with CSS: </p>
  <p>Typed: ≕</p>
  <p>Expression: 2 &ecolon; 3</p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Named: &ecolon; is the preferred HTML5 name for U+2255 → ≕.

2. Hex: ≕ inserts the same code point. Same visual as named.

3. Decimal: same code point as 8789 → ≕.

4. CSS: use \2255 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends ≕.

5. Typed: paste ≕ in a UTF-8 document, or write an expression like 2 &ecolon; 3.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Equals Colon.

Name

Prefer &ecolon;

&ecolon; is the clearest named form. &eqcolon; is a valid alias for the same glyph.

≔

Not colon equals

U+2254 (&colone; / &coloneq;) is ≔ — colon first, then equals. Do not swap them.

Not a plain colon

Keyboard : (U+003A) is not equals colon. Use &ecolon; when you need the combined math operator.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\2255 belongs in CSS strings. &ecolon; / ≕ / ≕ belong in HTML.

Fonts

Math font coverage

Some fonts omit Mathematical Operators. Prefer a font with solid math coverage for this mark.

a11y

Add accessible text

Screen readers may not expand ≕ clearly. Prefer a short phrase nearby when the exact relation matters.

Semicolon

End references

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

Compatibility

Browser Support

Equals colon (U+2255) and its entity forms (&ecolon;, ≕, ≕, CSS \\2255) are supported in all mainstream browsers. Visible glyphs depend on Mathematical Operators font coverage.

✓ Universal support

Equals Colon (≕)

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+2255 / &ecolon; Full support

Bottom line: Prefer &ecolon; in HTML. Use ≕ / ≕ when numeric form is required, and \\2255 only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: equals colon is U+2255 (decimal 8789) — glyph ≕.
HTML: prefer &ecolon; (alias &eqcolon;).
CSS: use \2255 inside content for generated text.
Meaning: ≕ ≠ colone ≔ ≠ : ≠ =.

One line: U+2255 → &ecolon; / ≕ / CSS \2255.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display ≕ in HTML?

Use &ecolon; (named), ≕ (hex), ≕ (decimal), type ≕ directly in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \2255 in content. Alias &eqcolon; also resolves to U+2255.

What is the Unicode value for this mark?

U+2255 (EQUALS COLON). Hex 2255, decimal 8789. It belongs to the Mathematical Operators block (U+2200–U+22FF).

Can I use the named entity &ecolon; for equals colon?

Yes. &ecolon; is the preferred readable named entity for U+2255. &eqcolon; is a valid HTML5 alias for the same character.

When should I use U+2255?

Use it when you need equals-then-colon (≕), often in formal or ratio-style notation. Prefer &colone; for the reverse colon-equals (≔), and a plain : or = when those simpler marks are enough.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for U+2255?

HTML entities (&ecolon;, ≕, or ≕) go in markup. The CSS escape \2255 goes in stylesheet strings (usually content on ::before/::after).

Is U+2255 the same as U+2254 or U+003A?

No. U+2255 is ≕ (equals colon). U+2254 is ≔ (colon equals). U+003A is : (colon).

Did you know?

Equals colon is Unicode U+2255 (decimal 8789) — glyph ≕ (EQUALS COLON) in Mathematical Operators. HTML5 names it &ecolon; (alias &eqcolon;). It is the reverse of colon equals (&colone; / &coloneq;, ≔, U+2254).

Next: Equals Sign Above Right Arrow

Learn the HTML entity for equals sign above right arrow (U+2971).

Equals Sign Above Right Arrow tutorial →

About the author

Mari Selvan M P 🔗

Developer, cloud engineer, and technical writer

Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
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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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