HTML Entity for Information Source (ℹ)

Beginner
⏱️ 5 min read
📚 Updated: Jun 2026
🎯 1 Code Example
Unicode U+2139
HTML entity for Information Source (U+2139) — hex, decimal, and CSS tutorial for info icons

What You'll Learn

How to display the Information Source symbol (ℹ) in HTML using hexadecimal, decimal, and CSS escape methods. This letterlike symbol indicates information, help content, or source references—commonly used as an “info” icon in tooltips, forms, and documentation.

It is U+2139 (INFORMATION SOURCE) in the Letterlike Symbols block (U+2100–U+214F). Render it with ℹ, ℹ, or CSS \2139. There is no named HTML entity for ℹ.

⚡ Quick Reference — Information Source

Unicode U+2139

Letterlike Symbols

Hex Code ℹ

Hexadecimal reference

HTML Code ℹ

Decimal reference

Named Entity —

Use numeric codes only

Reference Table
Name           Value
────────────   ──────────
Unicode        U+2139
Hex code       ℹ
HTML code      ℹ
Named entity   (none)
CSS code       \2139
Meaning        Information / info icon
CSS note       \2139 or \02139 in content property
1

Complete HTML Example

This example demonstrates the Information Source symbol (ℹ) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, and a CSS content escape. There is no named HTML entity:

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
 <style>
  #point:after{
   content: "\2139";
  }
 </style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Information Source using Hexadecimal: &#x2139;</p>
<p>Information Source using Decimal: &#8505;</p>
<p id="point">Information Source using CSS Entity: </p>
</body>
</html>
Try it Yourself

🌐 Browser Support

The Information Source symbol (ℹ) is widely supported in modern browsers when the font includes Letterlike Symbols:

Chrome 1+
Firefox 1+
Safari 1+
Edge 12+
Opera 4+
Android 4.4+
iOS Safari 1+

👀 Live Preview

See the Information Source symbol (ℹ) in typical UI and documentation contexts:

Info hint ℹ Additional details are available in the help panel.
Form label Password ℹ   (must be at least 12 characters)
Large glyph ℹ
Citation Source ℹ — see footnote 3 for references.
Numeric refs &#x2139; &#8505; \2139

🧠 How It Works

1

Hexadecimal Code

&#x2139; uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 2139 to display the Information Source symbol. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.

HTML markup
2

Decimal HTML Code

&#8505; uses the decimal Unicode value 8505 to display the same character.

HTML markup
3

CSS Entity

\2139 is used in CSS stylesheets, particularly in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::before and ::after.

CSS stylesheet
4

No Named Entity

U+2139 has no &...; named form in HTML5. Use hex, decimal, or a CSS escape—not a fictional named entity.

HTML markup
=

Same visual result

All three methods produce ℹ. Unicode U+2139 is in Letterlike Symbols. Next: Integral.

✅

Use Cases

The Information Source symbol (ℹ) is commonly used in:

ℹ Info Icons & Tooltips

Next to labels, fields, or controls that have extra help or description.

📚 Citations & References

Footnotes, source links, and “more information” in articles.

📝 Form Hints

Validation messages and inline hints for better form UX.

♿ Accessibility

Pair with aria-label or title for screen reader users.

📖 Help Systems

Knowledge bases, in-app guidance, and documentation panels.

🎨 Design Systems

Standard “info” glyph in icon sets and component libraries.

💡 Best Practices

Do

  • Use &#x2139; or &#8505; in HTML content
  • Add aria-label or visible text when the icon stands alone
  • Pick one numeric style (hex or decimal) per project
  • Set <meta charset="utf-8"> for reliable rendering
  • Link the icon to help text or a tooltip users can discover

Don’t

  • Expect a named HTML entity for U+2139
  • Rely on the icon alone without accessible description
  • Use CSS \2139 inside HTML text nodes
  • Confuse ℹ with the emoji info pictograph (different code point)
  • Assume every font styles ℹ like a circular UI icon

Key Takeaways

1

Two HTML numeric references plus CSS insert U+2139

&#x2139; &#8505;
2

For CSS, use \2139 in the content property

3

Unicode U+2139 — INFORMATION SOURCE (Letterlike Symbols)

4

No named entity—use hex, decimal, or CSS escape

5

Previous: Infinity   Next: Integral

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Use &#x2139; (hex), &#8505; (decimal), or \2139 in CSS content. There is no named entity. All three methods render ℹ correctly.
U+2139 (INFORMATION SOURCE). Letterlike Symbols block (U+2100–U+214F). Hex 2139, decimal 8505. Widely used as an info icon in UI design.
For info icons and tooltips, help text and citations, form hints, documentation, accessibility cues, and any content that signals “more information” or a source reference.
HTML references (&#8505; or &#x2139;) go in markup. The CSS escape \2139 is used in stylesheets, typically on ::before or ::after. Both produce ℹ.
Named entities cover common characters; many letterlike symbols use numeric hex or decimal codes or CSS escapes. That is standard for U+2139, unlike symbols such as &infin; for infinity.

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About the author

Mari Selvan M P
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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Infinity (∞) Integral (∫)