Lowercase E Schwa (ə) is the IPA Extensions character at Unicode U+0259 (LATIN SMALL LETTER SCHWA). It is used in phonetic notation for the mid central vowel — the most common vowel sound in English.
Remember
Character ə
Unicode U+0259
Hex entity ə
Decimal ə
CSS escape \0259
Named entity (none)
Hex, decimal, CSS, and a typed character all produce the same glyph: ə. Prefer ə in HTML source when you need an explicit entity.
Using Hex Code: ə
Using HTML Code: ə
Using CSS Entity: ə
IPA: /ə/
How It Works
1. Hex:U+0259 → ə in HTML. The browser turns it into ə.
2. Decimal: same code point as 601 → ə. Same result as hex.
3. Named: HTML5 does not define a named entity for this character — use hex or decimal instead.
4. CSS: use \0259 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ə after the paragraph text.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with schwa.
Named
No &…; shortcut
HTML5 has no named entity for U+0259. Use ə or ə.
Look-alikes
Not e or ɘ
Letter e is U+0065. Reversed e ɘ is U+0258. Schwa is its own IPA letter.
Pronunciation
Use real IPA text
For dictionaries and guides, prefer the real ə character so learners can copy, search, and hear it correctly with screen readers that support IPA.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\0259 belongs in CSS. ə / ə belong in HTML. Prefer the padded CSS form so trailing digits are not misread.
Encoding
Declare UTF-8
If you type ə 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+0259 if the glyph is missing.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Latin small letter schwa (U+0259) and its entity forms (ə, ə, CSS \\0259) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph display depends on font coverage.
✓ Universal encoding
Lowercase E Schwa (ə)
Encode with hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type ə directly in UTF-8 HTML.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerIE 9+
Yes*
U+0259Full support
Bottom line: Prefer ə for readable HTML. Use \\0259 only inside CSS content.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: this character is U+0259 (decimal 601).
HTML: prefer ə — or use ə (no named entity).
CSS: use \0259 inside content for generated text.
Watch out:ə ≠ letter e ≠ reversed e ɘ.
One line:U+0259 → ə / ə / CSS \0259 (no named entity).
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ə (hex), ə (decimal), or the CSS escape \0259 in the content property. All render ə when the font supports IPA Extensions. There is no named HTML entity.
U+0259 (LATIN SMALL LETTER SCHWA). Hex 259, decimal 601. It belongs to IPA Extensions (U+0250–U+02AF).
No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for U+0259. Use numeric references like ə or ə.
Use it for IPA phonetic transcription, pronunciation guides, linguistics, language learning, and any content that needs the mid central vowel symbol.
HTML entities (ə or ə) go in markup. The CSS escape \0259 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ə.
No. Letter e is U+0065. Reversed e is U+0258 (ɘ). Schwa ə is U+0259 — a different IPA letter for the mid central vowel.
🤔
Did you know?
Lowercase E Schwa is Unicode U+0259 (decimal 601) — LATIN SMALL LETTER SCHWA in IPA Extensions. HTML5 has no named entity — use ə or ə. In the IPA it represents the mid central vowel — the most common vowel sound in English (as in about). It is not the same as typed e or reversed e ɘ.
