HTML Entity for Inverted Question Mark (¿)
What You'll Learn
How to display the Inverted Question Mark (¿) in HTML using hexadecimal, decimal, named entity, and CSS escape methods. Spanish punctuation requires ¿ at the start and ? at the end of interrogative phrases (e.g. ¿Qué tal? ¿Cómo estás?).
This character is U+00BF (INVERTED QUESTION MARK) in the Latin-1 Supplement block (U+0080–U+00FF). Render it with ¿, ¿, ¿, or CSS \00BF.
⚡ Quick Reference — Inverted Question Mark
U+00BFLatin-1 Supplement
¿Hexadecimal reference
¿Decimal reference
¿Most readable option
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+00BF
Hex code ¿
HTML code ¿
Named entity ¿
CSS code \00BF
Meaning Opening question (Spanish ¿)
Example ¿Qué tal?Complete HTML Example
This example demonstrates the Inverted Question Mark symbol (¿) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, the named entity, and a CSS content escape:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
#point:after{
content: "\00BF";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Inverted Question Mark using Hexadecimal: ¿</p>
<p>Inverted Question Mark using Decimal: ¿</p>
<p>Inverted Question Mark using Named Entity: ¿</p>
<p id="point">Inverted Question Mark using CSS Entity: </p>
</body>
</html>🌐 Browser Support
The Inverted Question Mark symbol (¿) is universally supported in all modern browsers:
👀 Live Preview
See the Inverted Question Mark (¿) in Spanish question contexts:
🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
¿ uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 00BF to display the Inverted Question Mark. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.
Decimal HTML Code
¿ uses the decimal Unicode value 191 to display the same character.
CSS Entity
\00BF is used in CSS stylesheets, particularly in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::before and ::after.
Named Entity
¿ is the standard named HTML entity for the inverted question mark—easy to read and remember in source markup.
Same visual result
All four methods produce ¿. Unicode U+00BF is in Latin-1 Supplement. Next: Inverted S.
Use Cases
The Inverted Question Mark symbol (¿) is commonly used in:
Open questions with ¿ and close with ? (e.g. ¿Qué tal?).
Localized sites and apps with correct Spanish punctuation.
Language courses, textbooks, and learning materials.
Articles, blogs, and publications in Spanish.
UI strings, notifications, and messages with interrogative tone.
Proper punctuation helps screen readers interpret Spanish questions.
💡 Best Practices
Do
- Prefer
¿for readable source markup - Pair ¿ with closing ? in Spanish (e.g.
¿Qué tal?) - Set
<meta charset="utf-8"> - Use one entity style (named, hex, or decimal) per project
- Include ¿ in Spanish locale strings for i18n/l10n
Don’t
- Use only ? at the start in Spanish (omit the opening ¿)
- Confuse ¿ (U+00BF, ¿) with regular ? (U+003F) when opening Spanish questions
- Use CSS
\00BFinside HTML text nodes - Mix entity styles randomly in one file
- Assume all fonts lack Latin-1 (U+00BF is widely supported)
Key Takeaways
Four HTML references all render ¿
¿ ¿ ¿For CSS stylesheets, use \00BF in the content property
Unicode U+00BF — INVERTED QUESTION MARK
Prefer ¿ for readability in HTML source
Previous: Inverted Ohm Sign Next: Inverted S
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
¿ (hex), ¿ (decimal), ¿ (named), or \00BF in CSS content. All produce ¿.U+00BF (INVERTED QUESTION MARK). Latin-1 Supplement block (U+0080–U+00FF). Hex 00BF, decimal 191. Opens questions in Spanish (e.g. ¿Qué tal?).¿, ¿, or ¿) go in markup. The CSS escape \00BF is used in stylesheets, typically on ::before or ::after. Both render ¿.¿ is the named HTML entity for ¿ (inverted question). It is part of the HTML/Latin-1 entity set and is well supported in modern browsers.Explore More HTML Entities!
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