HTML Entity for Left Harpoon Over Right Harpoon (⇋)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+21CB

HTML Entity for Left Harpoon Over Right Harpoon (U+21CB) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Left Harpoon Over Right Harpoon Entity?

Left Harpoon Over Right Harpoon (⇋) is the Arrows-block character at Unicode U+21CB (LEFTWARDS HARPOON OVER RIGHTWARDS HARPOON). The leftwards harpoon sits above the rightwards harpoon.

Remember

Character     ⇋
Unicode       U+21CB
Hex entity    &#x21CB;
Decimal       &#8651;
Named entity  &lrhar; · &leftrightharpoons;
CSS escape    \21CB
Not the same  &rlhar; (⇌) · &lharu; (↼)

All of these produce the same glyph: ⇋. Prefer &lrhar; or &leftrightharpoons; when you want an explicit entity.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	`&lrhar;` / `&leftrightharpoons;`	HTML markup (best entity default)
Hex entity	`⇋`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`⇋`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\21CB`	Stylesheet `content`
Direct character	`⇋`	UTF-8 HTML text

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Readable HTML entity source	`&lrhar;` or `&leftrightharpoons;`
Need a numeric entity	`⇋` or `⇋`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\21CB"`
Right harpoon over left	Use `&rlhar;` / `&rightleftharpoons;` (U+21CC)
Single left / right harpoon	Use &lharu; or `&rharu;`

See it

Live Preview

Left Harpoon Over Right Harpoon in common math contexts.

Relation snippet A ⇋ B

Large glyph ⇋

Named entity &lrhar; → ⇋

vs &rlhar; ⇋ | ⇌

With entities Hex: ⇋ | Decimal: ⇋ | Named: ⇋

Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows this symbol 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 Harpoon Over Right Harpoon (⇋)</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\21CB";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x21CB;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#8651;</p>
  <p>Using Named Entity: &lrhar;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p><code>A &lrhar; B</code></p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Hex: U+21CB → ⇋ in HTML. The browser turns it into ⇋.

2. Decimal: same code point as 8651 → ⇋. Same result as hex.

3. Named: &lrhar; and &leftrightharpoons; are the HTML5 names for this character.

4. CSS: use \21CB in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ⇋ after the paragraph text.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Left Harpoon Over Right Harpoon.

Look-alikes

⇋ ≠ ⇌

&lrhar; (left over right) and &rlhar; (right over left) look similar but are different characters.

Name

`&lrhar;` ≠ `&rlhar;`

Letter order matters: lr vs rl selects which harpoon is on top.

Fonts

Glyph may be missing

Arrows-block coverage is usually good, but still test on your target devices.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\21CB belongs in CSS. &lrhar; / ⇋ / ⇋ belong in HTML.

A11y

Add nearby words

Pair the glyph with equation text or use aria-label when it stands alone.

Semicolon

End references

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

Compatibility

Browser Support

Left Harpoon Over Right Harpoon (U+21CB) and its entity forms (&lrhar;, &leftrightharpoons;, ⇋, ⇋, CSS \\21CB) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph coverage depends on the font.

✓ Universal encoding

Left Harpoon Over Right Harpoon (&lrhar;)

Encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type ⇋ directly in UTF-8 HTML.

100% Browser coverage

Google Chrome Supported

Yes

Microsoft Edge Supported

Yes

Mozilla Firefox Supported

Yes

Apple Safari Supported

Yes

Opera Supported

Yes

Internet Explorer IE 9+

Yes*

U+21CB / &lrhar; Full support

Bottom line: Prefer &lrhar; or &leftrightharpoons; for readable HTML. Use \\21CB only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: this symbol is U+21CB (decimal 8651).
HTML: prefer &lrhar; / &leftrightharpoons; — or use ⇋ / ⇋.
CSS: use \21CB inside content for generated text.
Watch out: &lrhar; ≠ &rlhar; (U+21CC).

One line: U+21CB → &lrhar; / ⇋ / ⇋ / CSS \21CB.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display Left Harpoon Over Right Harpoon (⇋) in HTML using entities?

Use &lrhar; or &leftrightharpoons; (named), ⇋ (hex), ⇋ (decimal), or the CSS escape \21CB in the content property. You can also type ⇋ directly in UTF-8 HTML.

What is the Unicode value for Left Harpoon Over Right Harpoon?

U+21CB (LEFTWARDS HARPOON OVER RIGHTWARDS HARPOON). Hex 21CB, decimal 8651. It belongs to the Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF).

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

Yes. &lrhar; and &leftrightharpoons; are both HTML5 named entities. You can also use ⇋ or ⇋.

When should I use this HTML entity?

Use it in math and chemistry-style notation for reversible or two-way relations where the left harpoon sits above the right harpoon. Prefer &lrhar; or &leftrightharpoons; for readable HTML.

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

HTML entities (&lrhar;, ⇋, or ⇋) go in markup. The CSS escape \21CB is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ⇋.

How is &lrhar; different from &rlhar;?

&rlhar; / &rightleftharpoons; (U+21CC) places the right harpoon above the left. &lrhar; / &leftrightharpoons; (U+21CB) places the left harpoon above the right.

Did you know?

Left Harpoon Over Right Harpoon is Unicode U+21CB (decimal 8651) — LEFTWARDS HARPOON OVER RIGHTWARDS HARPOON. HTML5 provides &lrhar; and &leftrightharpoons;. Prefer a named form for readable source. Do not confuse it with &rlhar; / &rightleftharpoons; (U+21CC), which stacks the harpoons the other way.

Next: Left Normal Factor Semidirect Product

Learn the HTML entity for the next math operator in this sequence.

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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.

AWS Certified Developer – Associate (Credly)

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