HTML Entity for Left Right Open Headed Arrow (⇿)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+21FF

HTML Entity for Left Right Open Headed Arrow (U+21FF) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Left Right Open Headed Arrow Entity?

Left Right Open Headed Arrow (⇿) is the Arrows-block character at Unicode U+21FF (LEFT RIGHT OPEN-HEADED ARROW). It is a bidirectional arrow with open (hollow) heads on both sides.

Remember

Character     ⇿
Unicode       U+21FF
Hex entity    &#x21FF;
Decimal       &#8703;
Named entity  &hoarr;
CSS escape    \21FF
Not the same  &harr; (↔) · &loarr; (⇽) · &roarr; (⇾)

All of these produce the same glyph: ⇿. Prefer &hoarr; 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	`&hoarr;`	HTML markup (best entity default)
Hex entity	`⇿`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`⇿`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\21FF`	Stylesheet `content`
Direct character	`⇿`	UTF-8 HTML text

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Readable HTML entity source	`&hoarr;`
Need a numeric entity	`⇿` or `⇿`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\21FF"`
Solid left-right arrow	Use ↔ (U+2194)
One-way open-headed arrow	Use &loarr; or `&roarr;`

See it

Live Preview

Left Right Open Headed Arrow in common UI and diagram contexts.

Label snippet Swap ⇿

Large glyph ⇿

Named entity &hoarr; → ⇿

vs ↔ / &loarr; ⇿ | ↔ | ⇽

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 Right Open Headed Arrow (⇿)</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\21FF";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x21FF;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#8703;</p>
  <p>Using Named Entity: &hoarr;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p><code>Swap &hoarr;</code></p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Hex: U+21FF → ⇿ in HTML. The browser turns it into ⇿.

2. Decimal: same code point as 8703 → ⇿. Same result as hex.

3. Named: &hoarr; is the HTML5 name for this character.

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

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Left Right Open Headed Arrow.

Look-alikes

⇿ ≠ ↔ ≠ ⇽

&hoarr; (open both ways), ↔ (solid), and &loarr; (left open only) are different characters.

Name

`&hoarr;` ≠ `↔`

The leading o marks the open-headed form. Do not drop it.

Fonts

Glyph may be missing

Open-headed arrow coverage varies. Test on your target devices or provide a fallback font.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\21FF belongs in CSS. &hoarr; / ⇿ / ⇿ belong in HTML.

A11y

Add nearby words

Pair the glyph with label text (for example Swap &hoarr;) or use aria-label when it stands alone.

Semicolon

End references

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

Compatibility

Browser Support

Left Right Open Headed Arrow (U+21FF) and its entity forms (&hoarr;, ⇿, ⇿, CSS \\21FF) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph coverage depends on the font.

✓ Universal encoding

Left Right Open Headed Arrow (&hoarr;)

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+21FF / &hoarr; Full support

Bottom line: Prefer &hoarr; for readable HTML. Use \\21FF only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: this symbol is U+21FF (decimal 8703).
HTML: prefer &hoarr; — or use ⇿ / ⇿.
CSS: use \21FF inside content for generated text.
Watch out: &hoarr; ≠ ↔ ≠ &loarr;.

One line: U+21FF → &hoarr; / ⇿ / ⇿ / CSS \21FF.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display Left Right Open Headed Arrow (⇿) in HTML using entities?

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

What is the Unicode value for Left Right Open Headed Arrow?

U+21FF (LEFT RIGHT OPEN-HEADED ARROW). Hex 21FF, decimal 8703. It belongs to the Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF).

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

Yes. &hoarr; is the HTML5 named entity. You can also use ⇿ or ⇿.

When should I use this HTML entity?

Use it for navigation, diagrams, and bidirectional labels when you want open (hollow) arrowheads on both sides. Prefer &hoarr; for readable HTML.

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

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

How is &hoarr; different from ↔ or &loarr;?

↔ (U+2194) is a solid left-right arrow. &loarr; (U+21FD) is left-only open-headed. &hoarr; (U+21FF) is bidirectional with open heads on both sides.

Did you know?

Left Right Open Headed Arrow is Unicode U+21FF (decimal 8703) — LEFT RIGHT OPEN-HEADED ARROW. HTML5 provides &hoarr;. Prefer it for readable source. Do not confuse it with a solid ↔ (U+2194) or the one-way open forms &loarr; / &roarr; (U+21FD / U+21FE).

Next: Left Right Wave Arrow

Learn the HTML entity for Left Right Wave 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.

AWS Certified Developer – Associate (Credly)

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