HTML Entity for Lowercase B Topbar (ƃ)

Beginner
⏱️ 5 min read
📚 Updated: Jun 2026
🎯 1 Code Example
Unicode U+0183
HTML Entity for Lowercase B Topbar tutorial illustration

What You'll Learn

How to display the lowercase b with topbar (ƃ) in HTML using hexadecimal, decimal, and CSS escape methods. This character is the Latin small letter b with topbar—a horizontal bar above the letter b. It was used in the Zhuang alphabet (1957–1986, later replaced by the digraph “mb”) and is referred to as “b with top bar” in Caribbean language notation. It is U+0183 in the Latin Extended-B block.

Render it with ƃ, ƃ, or CSS escape \0183. There is no named HTML entity for this character, so numeric codes or CSS must be used.

⚡ Quick Reference — Lowercase B Topbar Entity

Unicode U+0183

Latin Extended-B

Hex Code ƃ

Hexadecimal reference

HTML Code ƃ

Decimal reference

Named Entity —

No named entity

Reference Table
Name           Value
────────────   ──────────
Unicode        U+0183
Hex code       ƃ
HTML code      ƃ
Named entity   (none)
CSS code       \0183
Meaning        Latin small letter b with topbar
Also known as  b with top bar
Historical use Zhuang alphabet (1957–1986)
Block          Latin Extended-B (U+0180–U+024F)
1

Complete HTML Example

A simple example showing the lowercase b topbar (ƃ) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, and a CSS content escape:

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
 <style>
  #point:after{
   content: "\0183";
  }
 </style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Symbol (hex): &#x0183;</p>
<p>Symbol (decimal): &#387;</p>
<p id="point">Symbol (CSS): </p>
</body>
</html>
Try it Yourself

🌐 Browser Support

The lowercase b topbar (ƃ) renders correctly in modern browsers when UTF-8 is used and a font with Latin Extended-B support is available:

Chrome1+
Firefox1+
Safari1+
Edge12+
Opera4+
Android4.4+
iOS Safari1+

👀 Live Preview

See the lowercase b topbar (ƃ) and how it differs from related characters:

Large glyphƃ
Also known asb with top bar
Not the same asb (plain b) or ƅ (b tone six)
Unicode blockLatin Extended-B (U+0180–U+024F)
Numeric refs&#x0183; &#387; \0183

🧠 How It Works

1

Hexadecimal Code

&#x0183; uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 0183 to display the character. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.

HTML markup
2

Decimal HTML Code

&#387; uses the decimal Unicode value 387 to display the same character. A common method for Latin Extended-B characters.

HTML markup
3

CSS Entity

\0183 is used in CSS stylesheets, particularly in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::before and ::after.

CSS stylesheet
=

Same visual result

All three methods produce the glyph: ƃ. Unicode U+0183 sits in Latin Extended-B. Do not confuse ƃ with plain b (U+0062) or ƅ (b tone six, U+0185). There is no named HTML entity.

✅

Use Cases

The lowercase b topbar (ƃ) is commonly used in:

📜 Zhuang texts

Digitize 1957–1986 Zhuang orthography that used ƃ before the digraph “mb” replaced it.

🔤 Phonetic notation

Display extended Latin symbols in linguistics articles and language documentation.

🌎 Caribbean languages

Represent “b with top bar” in Caribbean language orthographies and academic references.

📚 Academic papers

Represent historical orthographies and Southeast Asian language research.

🎨 Typography

Showcase Latin Extended-B coverage in font demos and type design.

🔍 Character references

Document Latin Extended-B character sets for developers and linguists.

🌐 Internationalization

Support proper rendering of minority and historical writing systems using the b with topbar.

💡 Best Practices

Do

  • Use &#387; or &#x0183; in HTML (no named entity exists)
  • Serve pages as UTF-8; you can also type ƃ directly in UTF-8 source
  • Use fonts that support Latin Extended-B (U+0180–U+024F)
  • Provide context (e.g. Zhuang or Caribbean orthography) when using this symbol
  • Distinguish ƃ from plain b and from related b variants

Don’t

  • Assume a named entity exists—there is none for ƃ
  • Substitute plain b or “mb” when ƃ is required for historical accuracy
  • Put CSS escape \0183 in HTML text nodes
  • Assume all fonts render Latin Extended-B glyphs identically
  • Mix entity styles randomly in one file

Key Takeaways

1

Three references render ƃ (no named entity)

&#x0183; &#387;
2

For CSS stylesheets, use the escape in the content property

\0183
3

Unicode U+0183 — LATIN SMALL LETTER B WITH TOPBAR

4

Used in Zhuang (1957–1986) and Caribbean “b with top bar” notation

5

Previous: Lowercase B Tone Six (ƅ)   Next: Lowercase C

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Use &#x0183; (hex), &#387; (decimal), or \0183 in CSS content. There is no named HTML entity; use numeric codes or CSS.
U+0183 (LATIN SMALL LETTER B WITH TOPBAR). Latin Extended-B block. Hex 0183, decimal 387. Historically used in the Zhuang alphabet and Caribbean language notation.
In Zhuang historical text digitization, phonetic and linguistic content, Caribbean language notation, academic papers on Southeast Asian languages, font specimens, and Unicode reference sites.
HTML code (&#387; or &#x0183;) is used in HTML content. The CSS entity (\0183) is used in CSS, e.g. in the content property of pseudo-elements. Both produce ƃ but in different contexts.
No. Named HTML entities do not include Latin Extended-B characters like ƃ. Use &#387; or &#x0183; in HTML, or \0183 in CSS. This is standard for extended Latin characters.

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About the author

Mari Selvan M P
Mari Selvan M P 🔗

Developer, cloud engineer, and technical writer

  • Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
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I write practical tutorials so students and working developers can learn by doing—from databases and APIs to deployment on AWS.

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