HTML Entity for Left Parenthesis (()

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+0028

HTML Entity for Left Parenthesis (U+0028) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Left Parenthesis Entity?

Left Parenthesis (() is the Basic Latin character at Unicode U+0028 (LEFT PARENTHESIS). It is the opening round bracket used in math, code, and everyday text.

Remember

Character     (
Unicode       U+0028
Hex entity    &#x28;
Decimal       &#40;
Named entity  &lpar;
CSS escape    \28
Not the same  &lbrack; ([) · &lbrace; ({)

All of these produce the same glyph: (. Prefer ( when you want an explicit entity, or type ( directly.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	`(`	HTML markup (best entity default)
Hex entity	`(`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`(`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\28`	Stylesheet `content`
Direct character	`(`	UTF-8 HTML text (most common)

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Normal page text (UTF-8)	Type `(` directly
Readable HTML entity source	`(`
Need a numeric entity	`(` or `(`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\28"`
Square / curly brackets	Use [ or {

See it

Live Preview

Left Parenthesis in common math and code contexts.

Function snippet f(x) = x + 1

Large glyph (

Named entity ( → (

vs [ / { ( | [ | {

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 Parenthesis (()</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\28";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x28;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#40;</p>
  <p>Using Named Entity: &lpar;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p><code>f&lpar;x&rpar; = x + 1</code></p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Hex: U+0028 → ( in HTML. The browser turns it into (.

2. Decimal: same code point as 40 → (. Same result as hex.

3. Named: ( is the HTML5 name for this character.

4. CSS: use \28 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ( after the paragraph text.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Left Parenthesis.

Look-alikes

( ≠ [ ≠ {

Parenthesis, bracket, and brace are different characters with different Unicode points.

Pairing

Match with `)`

Close with ) / ) (U+0029). Unmatched parentheses confuse readers and parsers.

Named

Use `(`

HTML5 does define a named entity. Prefer ( over guessing other names.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\28 belongs in CSS. ( / ( / ( belong in HTML.

A11y

Keep surrounding text

Parentheses are usually fine in context. Avoid decorative lone glyphs without labels.

Semicolon

End references

Always finish with ; — write (, not &lpar.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Left Parenthesis (U+0028) and its entity forms ((, (, (, CSS \\28) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph coverage is universal for ASCII.

✓ Universal encoding

Left Parenthesis (()

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+0028 / ( Full support

Bottom line: Prefer typing ( for normal text, or ( for explicit entities. Use \\28 only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: this symbol is U+0028 (decimal 40).
HTML: prefer ( — or use ( / ( — or type (.
CSS: use \28 inside content for generated text.
Watch out: ( ≠ [ ≠ { — pair with ).

One line: U+0028 → ( / ( / ( / CSS \28.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display Left Parenthesis (U+0028) in HTML using entities?

Use ( (named), ( (hex), ( (decimal), or the CSS escape \28 in the content property. You can also type ( directly in UTF-8 HTML.

What is the Unicode value for Left Parenthesis?

U+0028 (LEFT PARENTHESIS). Hex 28, decimal 40. It belongs to the Basic Latin (ASCII) block.

Is there a named HTML entity for U+0028?

Yes. ( is the HTML5 named entity. You can also use ( or (.

When should I use this HTML entity?

Use ( when documenting markup, teaching entities, or when an explicit reference is clearer. For normal text and code samples, typing ( directly is usually fine.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for U+0028?

HTML entities ((, (, or () go in markup. The CSS escape \28 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render (.

How is ( different from [ or { ?

[ is Left Bracket (U+005B / [). { is Left Brace (U+007B / {). ( is Left Parenthesis (U+0028 / ().

Did you know?

Left Parenthesis is Unicode U+0028 (decimal 40) — LEFT PARENTHESIS. HTML5 provides (. Prefer it when you want an explicit entity, or type ( directly. Pair it with ) (U+0029) for matching parentheses. Do not confuse it with [ [ or { {.

Next: Left Right Arrow

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

Continue tutorial →

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.

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HTML Entity | Left Paired Arrows HTML Entity | Left Right Arrow