HTML Entity for Left Right Wave Arrow (↭)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+21AD

HTML Entity for Left Right Wave Arrow (U+21AD) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Left Right Wave Arrow Entity?

Left Right Wave Arrow (↭) is the Arrows-block character at Unicode U+21AD (LEFT RIGHT WAVE ARROW). It is a bidirectional arrow drawn as a wave (squiggle) instead of a straight shaft.

Remember

Character     ↭
Unicode       U+21AD
Hex entity    &#x21AD;
Decimal       &#8621;
Named entity  &harrw;
CSS escape    \21AD
Not the same  &harr; (↔) · &hoarr; (⇿)

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

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Readable HTML entity source	`&harrw;`
Need a numeric entity	`↭` or `↭`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\21AD"`
Straight left-right arrow	Use ↔ (U+2194)
Open-headed bidirectional arrow	Use &hoarr; (U+21FF)

See it

Live Preview

Left Right Wave Arrow in common diagram and label contexts.

Label snippet A ↭ B

Large glyph ↭

Named entity &harrw; → ↭

vs ↔ / &hoarr; ↭ | ↔ | ⇿

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 Wave Arrow (↭)</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\21AD";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x21AD;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#8621;</p>
  <p>Using Named Entity: &harrw;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p><code>A &harrw; B</code></p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Hex: U+21AD → ↭ in HTML. The browser turns it into ↭.

2. Decimal: same code point as 8621 → ↭. Same result as hex.

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

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

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Left Right Wave Arrow.

Look-alikes

↭ ≠ ↔ ≠ ⇿

&harrw; (wave), ↔ (straight), and &hoarr; (open-headed) are different characters.

Name

`&harrw;` ≠ `↔`

The trailing w marks the wave form. Do not drop it.

Fonts

Glyph may be missing

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

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\21AD belongs in CSS. &harrw; / ↭ / ↭ belong in HTML.

A11y

Add nearby words

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

Semicolon

End references

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

Compatibility

Browser Support

Left Right Wave Arrow (U+21AD) and its entity forms (&harrw;, ↭, ↭, CSS \\21AD) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph coverage depends on the font.

✓ Universal encoding

Left Right Wave Arrow (&harrw;)

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+21AD / &harrw; Full support

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

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: this symbol is U+21AD (decimal 8621).
HTML: prefer &harrw; — or use ↭ / ↭.
CSS: use \21AD inside content for generated text.
Watch out: &harrw; ≠ ↔ ≠ &hoarr;.

One line: U+21AD → &harrw; / ↭ / ↭ / CSS \21AD.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display Left Right Wave Arrow (↭) in HTML using entities?

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

What is the Unicode value for Left Right Wave Arrow?

U+21AD (LEFT RIGHT WAVE ARROW). Hex 21AD, decimal 8621. It belongs to the Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF).

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

Yes. &harrw; is the HTML5 named entity. You can also use ↭ or ↭.

When should I use this HTML entity?

Use it for reversible or oscillating relations, wavy bidirectional flow, chemistry-style equilibrium sketches, and technical diagrams when a straight ↔ feels too rigid. Prefer &harrw; for readable HTML.

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

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

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

↔ (U+2194) is a solid straight left-right arrow. &hoarr; (U+21FF) is open-headed on both sides. &harrw; (U+21AD) is a bidirectional wave (squiggle) arrow.

Did you know?

Left Right Wave Arrow is Unicode U+21AD (decimal 8621) — LEFT RIGHT WAVE ARROW. HTML5 provides &harrw;. Prefer it for readable source. Do not confuse it with a straight ↔ (U+2194) or the open-headed form &hoarr; (U+21FF).

Next: Left Semidirect Product

Learn the HTML entity for Left Semidirect Product — 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)

8 people found this page helpful

HTML Entity | Left Right Open Headed Arrow HTML Entity | Left Semidirect Product