HTML Entity for Lowercase Esszed (ß)
What You'll Learn
How to display the eszett (ß) in HTML using named entity, hexadecimal, decimal, and CSS escape methods. Also called lowercase esszed, sharp s, or scharfes S, this letter is used in German orthography and appears in words such as Straße (street), groß (big), and Fuß (foot). It is U+00DF in the Latin-1 Supplement block.
Render it with ß, ß, ß, or CSS escape \00DF. The named entity ß is often the most readable option in HTML source.
⚡ Quick Reference — Lowercase Esszed Entity
U+00DFLatin-1 Supplement
ßHexadecimal reference
ßDecimal reference
ßMost readable option
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+00DF
Hex code ß
HTML code ß
Named entity ß
CSS code \00DF
Meaning Latin small letter sharp s
Also known as Eszett / lowercase esszed
Block Latin-1 Supplement (U+0080–U+00FF)Complete HTML Example
A simple example showing the eszett (ß) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, the named entity, and a CSS content escape:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
#point:after{
content: "\00DF";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Symbol (hex): ß</p>
<p>Symbol (decimal): ß</p>
<p>Symbol (named): ß</p>
<p id="point">Symbol (CSS): </p>
</body>
</html>🌐 Browser Support
The eszett (ß) and the named entity ß are supported in all modern browsers:
👀 Live Preview
See the eszett (ß) in German contexts:
ss in all contexts (e.g. Swiss German uses ss)🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
ß uses the Unicode hexadecimal value DF to display the character. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.
Decimal HTML Code
ß uses the decimal Unicode value 223 to display the same character. One of the most commonly used methods in HTML.
Named Entity
ß is the standard named entity for ß—readable in source HTML and part of the HTML5 entity set.
CSS Entity
\00DF is used in CSS stylesheets, particularly in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::before and ::after.
Same visual result
All four methods produce the glyph: ß. Unicode U+00DF sits in Latin-1 Supplement. In German, ß is a distinct letter—do not substitute plain s or ss when ß is required for correct spelling.
Use Cases
The eszett (ß) is commonly used in:
Correct spelling of German words (e.g. Straße, groß, Fuß, weiß).
Websites and apps targeting German-speaking audiences in Germany and Austria.
German vocabulary, grammar sites, and dictionary entries.
Books, articles, and editorial content with German names and place names.
Correct rendering so users can find content searching for words like “Straße.”
Address fields, name inputs, and user data that may contain German characters.
Typographic projects and design work requiring the sharp s glyph.
💡 Best Practices
Do
- Use
ßin HTML when possible for readability - Serve pages as UTF-8; you can also type ß directly in UTF-8 source
- Set
lang="de"on German content for accessibility and SEO - Use fonts that support Latin-1 Supplement characters
- Use ß where German orthography requires it (Germany/Austria)
Don’t
- Substitute
sswhen ß is required for correct German spelling - Confuse ß with the Greek beta β or other similar-looking characters
- Put CSS escape
\00DFin HTML text nodes - Assume all fonts render the eszett glyph identically
- Mix entity styles randomly in one file
Key Takeaways
Four references render ß; named entity is most readable
ß ß ßFor CSS stylesheets, use the escape in the content property
\00DFUnicode U+00DF — LATIN SMALL LETTER SHARP S (eszett)
Essential for German text and internationalized web content
Previous: Lowercase E Umlaut (ë) Next: Lowercase Eth
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
ß (named), ß (hex), ß (decimal), or \00DF in CSS content. All four methods render ß correctly.U+00DF (LATIN SMALL LETTER SHARP S). Latin-1 Supplement block. Hex DF, decimal 223. The eszett is the German sharp s used in German orthography.ß is used in HTML content. The CSS entity (\00DF) is used in CSS, e.g. in the content property of pseudo-elements. Both produce ß but in different contexts.ß is easier to read and maintain in hand-written HTML. Numeric codes (ß or ß) are useful when generating HTML programmatically. All produce the same character ß.Explore More HTML Entities!
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