HTML Entity for Lowercase B Hook (ɓ)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+0253

HTML Entity for lowercase b with hook (U+0253) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Lowercase B Hook Entity?

Lowercase b hook (ɓ) is the IPA Extensions character at Unicode U+0253 (LATIN SMALL LETTER B WITH HOOK). It is used in the International Phonetic Alphabet for the voiced bilabial implosive and in orthographies such as Fula and Hausa.

Remember

Character     ɓ
Unicode       U+0253
Hex entity    &#x253;
Decimal       &#595;
CSS escape    \0253
Named entity  (none)
Capital       Ɓ (U+0181)

Hex, decimal, CSS, and a typed character all produce the same glyph: ɓ. Prefer ɓ in HTML source when you need an explicit entity.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Hex entity	`ɓ`	HTML markup (best default)
Decimal entity	`ɓ`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\0253`	Stylesheet `content`
Direct character	`ɓ`	UTF-8 HTML text
Named entity	none	Use hex or decimal instead

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Readable HTML source	`ɓ`
Decimal entity required	`ɓ`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\0253"`
Capital Ɓ	`Ɓ` — see Uppercase B Hook
Plain letter b	See Lowercase B (U+0062)

See it

Live Preview

Lowercase b hook in phonetic and comparison contexts.

IPA sample /ɓa/ (example)

Large glyph ɓ

Hex entity ɓ → ɓ

vs b / Ɓ / ƀ ɓ | b | Ɓ | ƀ

With entities Hex: ɓ | Decimal: ɓ

Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows this character with hex, decimal, and CSS. Use View Output or open the live editor.

Hex + Decimal + CSS

Three ways to produce ɓ in a single document (no named entity).

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Lowercase B Hook (ɓ)</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\0253";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x253;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#595;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p>Case pair: &#x181; / &#x253;</p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Hex: U+0253 → ɓ in HTML. The browser turns it into ɓ.

2. Decimal: same code point as 595 → ɓ. Same result as hex.

3. Named: HTML5 does not define a named entity for this character — use hex or decimal instead.

4. CSS: use \0253 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ɓ after the paragraph text.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with lowercase b hook.

Named

No `&…;` shortcut

HTML5 has no named entity for U+0253. Use ɓ or ɓ.

Look-alikes

Not plain `b` or stroke

Do not substitute ASCII b or b with stroke (ƀ) when IPA accuracy requires the hook form.

IPA

Phonetic meaning

In IPA, ɓ marks the voiced bilabial implosive — a different sound from plain b.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\0253 belongs in CSS. ɓ / ɓ belong in HTML.

Encoding

Declare UTF-8

If you type ɓ directly, keep <meta charset="UTF-8"> so the file is not misread.

Fonts

Check glyph coverage

Some fonts omit IPA Extensions. Pick a font that includes U+0253 if the glyph is missing.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Lowercase b hook (U+0253) and its entity forms (ɓ, ɓ, CSS \\0253) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph display depends on font coverage.

✓ Universal encoding

Lowercase B Hook (ɓ)

Encode with hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type ɓ 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+0253 Full support

Bottom line: Prefer ɓ for readable HTML. Use \\0253 only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: this character is U+0253 (decimal 595).
HTML: prefer ɓ — or use ɓ (no named entity).
CSS: use \0253 inside content for generated text.
Watch out: ɓ ≠ plain b ≠ b stroke (ƀ) ≠ capital Ɓ.

One line: U+0253 → ɓ / ɓ / CSS \0253 (no named entity).

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display lowercase b hook (ɓ) in HTML using entities?

Use ɓ (hex), ɓ (decimal), or the CSS escape \0253 in the content property. All render ɓ when the font supports IPA Extensions. There is no named HTML entity.

What is the Unicode value for lowercase b hook?

U+0253 (LATIN SMALL LETTER B WITH HOOK). Hex 253, decimal 595. It belongs to IPA Extensions (U+0250–U+02AF).

Is there a named HTML entity for U+0253?

No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for U+0253. Use numeric references like ɓ or ɓ.

When should I use this HTML entity?

Use it for IPA phonetic transcription, linguistics, and African language orthographies (e.g. Fula, Hausa) that need ɓ.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for U+0253?

HTML entities (ɓ or ɓ) go in markup. The CSS escape \0253 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ɓ.

Is ɓ the same as b or ƀ?

No. Plain b is U+0062. B with stroke ƀ is U+0180. B with hook ɓ is U+0253 — used for the voiced bilabial implosive in IPA.

Did you know?

Lowercase b hook is Unicode U+0253 (decimal 595) — LATIN SMALL LETTER B WITH HOOK in IPA Extensions. HTML5 has no named entity — use ɓ or ɓ. Used in IPA for the voiced bilabial implosive and in orthographies such as Fula and Hausa. Not the same as plain b (U+0062) or b with stroke (ƀ).

Next: Lowercase B Stroke

Learn the HTML entity for Lowercase B Stroke — 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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