Left Squiggle Arrow (⇜) is the Arrows-block character at Unicode U+21DC (LEFTWARDS SQUIGGLE ARROW). It is a left-pointing arrow drawn with a wavy (squiggle) shaft.
Remember
Character ⇜
Unicode U+21DC
Hex entity ⇜
Decimal ⇜
Named entity (none)
CSS escape \21DC
Not the same ← (←) · ↭ (↭)
Hex, decimal, CSS, and a typed character all produce the same glyph: ⇜. Prefer ⇜ when you want an explicit entity.
Using Hex Code: ⇜
Using HTML Code: ⇜
Using CSS Entity: ⇜
Back ⇜
How It Works
1. Hex:U+21DC → ⇜ in HTML. The browser turns it into ⇜.
2. Decimal: same code point as 8668 → ⇜. Same result as hex.
3. Named: HTML5 does not define a named entity for this character — use hex or decimal instead.
4. CSS: use \21DC in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ⇜ after the paragraph text.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with Left Squiggle Arrow.
Look-alikes
⇜ ≠ ← ≠ ↭
U+21DC is leftwards and wavy. ← is straight left. ↭ is bidirectional.
Named
No &…; name
Do not invent a name. Use ⇜ or ⇜.
Fonts
Glyph may be missing
Squiggle-arrow coverage varies. Test on your target devices or provide a fallback font.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\21DC belongs in CSS. ⇜ / ⇜ belong in HTML.
A11y
Add nearby words
Pair the glyph with label text (for example Back ⇜) or use aria-label when it stands alone.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ⇜, not ⇜.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Left Squiggle Arrow (U+21DC) and its entity forms (⇜, ⇜, CSS \\21DC) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph coverage depends on the font.
✓ Universal encoding
Left Squiggle Arrow (⇜)
Encode with hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type ⇜ directly in UTF-8 HTML. No named entity.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerIE 9+
Yes*
U+21DCFull support
Bottom line: Prefer ⇜ for readable HTML. Use \\21DC only inside CSS content.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: this symbol is U+21DC (decimal 8668).
HTML: prefer ⇜ — or use ⇜. No named entity.
CSS: use \21DC inside content for generated text.
Watch out:U+21DC ≠ ← ≠ ↭.
One line:U+21DC → ⇜ / ⇜ / CSS \21DC (no named entity).
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ⇜ (hex), ⇜ (decimal), or the CSS escape \21DC in the content property. All render ⇜ when the font supports the Arrows block. There is no named HTML entity.
U+21DC (LEFTWARDS SQUIGGLE ARROW). Hex 21DC, decimal 8668. It belongs to the Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF).
No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for U+21DC. Use numeric references like ⇜ or ⇜.
Use it in diagrams and notation when you need a left-pointing wavy (squiggle) arrow instead of a straight ←. Prefer numeric entities when encoding must be explicit.
HTML entities (⇜ or ⇜) go in markup. The CSS escape \21DC is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ⇜.
← (U+2190) is a plain leftwards arrow. ↭ (U+21AD) is a bidirectional wave arrow. U+21DC is a one-way leftwards squiggle arrow.
🤔
Did you know?
Left Squiggle Arrow is Unicode U+21DC (decimal 8668) — LEFTWARDS SQUIGGLE ARROW. HTML5 has no named entity — use ⇜ or ⇜. Do not confuse it with a plain ← (U+2190) or the bidirectional wave arrow ↭ (U+21AD).
