HTML Entity for Left Arrow (←)

Beginner
6 min read
Updated: Sep 2026
1 example
Unicode U+2190
HTML Entity for Left Arrow (←) tutorial illustration
Definition

What Is the Left Arrow Entity?

Left Arrow (←) is the Arrows character at Unicode U+2190 (LEFTWARDS ARROW). It is used for navigation, back links, pagination, and directional UI.

Remember
Character     ←
Unicode       U+2190
Hex entity    ←
Decimal       ←
Named entity  ←
CSS escape    \2190

All of these produce the same glyph: ←. Prefer ← in HTML source for clarity; use hex/decimal when generating entities, and CSS \2190 only in content.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

FormCodeWhere it goes
Named entity←HTML markup (best default)
Hex entity←HTML markup
Decimal entity←HTML markup
CSS escape\2190Stylesheet content
Direct character←UTF-8 HTML text

When to Use Which

SituationUse
Readable HTML source←
Need a numeric entity in HTML← or ←
Generated text via ::before / ::aftercontent: "\2190"
UTF-8 page, typing is easyType ← directly
AccessibilityPair with text (e.g. “Back”) or aria-label
See it

Live Preview

Left Arrow in common navigation contexts.

Back link ← Back
Large glyph ←
Pagination ← Prev  |  Next →
Named entity ← → ←
With entities Hex: ← | Decimal: ← | Named: ←
Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows Left Arrow with hex, decimal, named, and CSS. Use View Output or open the live editor.

Hex + Decimal + Named + CSS

All four ways to produce ← in a single document.

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Left Arrow (←) in HTML</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\2190";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x2190;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#8592;</p>
  <p>Using Named Entity: &larr;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p><a href="#">&larr; Back</a></p>
</body>
</html>
Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Hex: U+2190 → &#x2190; in HTML. The browser turns it into ←.

2. Decimal: same code point as 8592 → &#8592;. Same result as hex.

3. Named: &larr; is the HTML5 name for this character — easiest to read in source.

4. CSS: use \2190 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ← after the paragraph text.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Left Arrow.

ASCII

Not <-

ASCII <- is two characters. Prefer &larr; for a real leftwards arrow.

Look-alikes

Not double arrow ⇐

&lArr; (U+21D0) is LEFTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW — a different symbol from &larr;.

A11y

Label direction

Add “Back” or “Previous” nearby, or use aria-label, so the arrow is not silent to assistive tech.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\2190 belongs in CSS. &larr; / &#x2190; / &#8592; belong in HTML.

Semicolon

End references

Always finish with ; — write &larr;, not &larr.

Default

Prefer &larr;

Named form is easiest to read and maintain in HTML tutorials and UI copy.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Left Arrow (U+2190) and its entity forms (&larr;, &#x2190;, &#8592;, CSS \\2190) are supported in all mainstream browsers.

✓ Universal support

Left Arrow (←)

Encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — same character everywhere.

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+2190 / &larr; Full support

Bottom line: Prefer &larr; in HTML. Use \\2190 only inside CSS content. Pair arrows with visible text for accessibility.

Remember

Key Takeaways

  • Unicode: left arrow is U+2190 (decimal 8592).
  • HTML: prefer &larr; — or use &#x2190; / &#8592;.
  • CSS: use \2190 inside content for generated text.
  • A11y: pair ← with words like “Back” or “Previous”.

One line: U+2190 → &larr; / &#x2190; / &#8592; / CSS \2190.

Frequently Asked Questions

Use &larr; (named), &#x2190; (hex), &#8592; (decimal), or the CSS escape \2190 in the content property. All render ←.
U+2190 (LEFTWARDS ARROW). Hex 2190, decimal 8592. It belongs to the Arrows block.
Yes. &larr; (and the HTML5 alias &leftarrow;) is the named entity for ← and is supported in all modern browsers.
Use it for back links, pagination, navigation UI, and directional text. Prefer &larr; for readable HTML; add nearby words or aria-label for accessibility.
HTML entities (&larr;, &#8592;, or &#x2190;) go in markup. The CSS escape \2190 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ←.
ASCII <- is two characters (< and -). ← (U+2190) is a single arrow. ⇐ (U+21D0, &lArr;) is the leftwards double arrow — a different symbol.

Did you know?

Left Arrow is Unicode U+2190 (decimal 8592) — LEFTWARDS ARROW. HTML5 provides the named entity &larr; (also &leftarrow;). Prefer &larr; for readable source. Do not confuse it with ASCII <- or the double arrow &lArr; (⇐).

Next: Left Arrow Above Short Right Arrow

Learn the HTML entity for Left Arrow Above Short Right Arrow — next in this sequence.

Next tutorial →

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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HTML Entity | Left Angle Below HTML Entity | Left Arrow Above Short Right Arrow