Lowercase a (a) is the Basic Latin character at Unicode U+0061 (LATIN SMALL LETTER A). You can type a directly in HTML, or write it with a numeric character reference when you need an explicit entity form.
Remember
Character a
Unicode U+0061
Hex entity a
Decimal a
CSS escape \0061
Named entity (none)
All of these produce the same glyph: a. Prefer typing a in normal page text; use entities for CSS content, generated markup, or when encoding must be explicit.
Using Hex Code: a
Using HTML Code: a
Using CSS Entity: a
Typed directly: a
How It Works
1. Hex:U+0061 → a in HTML. The browser turns it into a.
2. Decimal: same code point as 97 → a. Same result as hex.
3. CSS: use \0061 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that a after the paragraph text.
4. Typed a: best for normal text. All four lines show the same letter.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with lowercase a.
Named?
No &a;
HTML5 does not define a named entity for ASCII letters. Use numeric forms when needed.
Default
Type a when you can
Entities are for encoding needs — not required for ordinary body text.
Look-alikes
Not A or á
Uppercase A is U+0041. Accented á is U+00E1. Keep case and accents distinct.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\0061 belongs in CSS. a / a belong in HTML.
CSS tip
Prefer padded escapes
Use \0061 (not bare \61 before digits) so the next character is not absorbed into the escape.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write a, not a.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Lowercase a (U+0061) and its numeric entity forms (a, a, CSS \\0061) are supported in all mainstream browsers.
✓ Universal support
Lowercase A (a)
Type a, or encode with hex, decimal, or CSS escape — same glyph everywhere.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerAll versions
Yes
U+0061Full support
Bottom line: Use a typed a for normal text. Prefer a or a in HTML when encoding must be explicit, and \\0061 only inside CSS content.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: this character is U+0061 (decimal 97).
HTML: type a by default — or use a / a. No named entity.
CSS: use \0061 inside content for generated text.
Watch out:a ≠ A ≠ á (á).
One line:U+0061 → type a / a / a / CSS \0061.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use a (hex), a (decimal), or the CSS escape \0061 in the content property. All render a. In most cases you can also type a directly.
U+0061 (LATIN SMALL LETTER A). Hex 61, decimal 97. It belongs to the Basic Latin (ASCII) block.
No. ASCII letters like a do not have named HTML entities in HTML5. Use numeric references like a or a when you need an entity form.
Use entities when generating content in CSS, when you want explicit encoding, or when outputting into contexts where escaping is required. For normal body text, typing a directly is usually best.
HTML entities (a or a) go in markup. The CSS escape \0061 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render a.
No. Uppercase A is U+0041. Lowercase a with acute (á) is U+00E1 (á). They are different characters.
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Did you know?
Lowercase a is Unicode U+0061 (decimal 97) — LATIN SMALL LETTER A in Basic Latin. HTML5 has no named entity for it — use a or a when you need an entity form. For normal body text, typing a directly is best.
