HTML Entity for Lowercase L Retroflex Hook (ɭ)
What You'll Learn
How to display the lowercase l with retroflex hook (ɭ) in HTML using hexadecimal, decimal, and CSS escape methods. This is the IPA symbol for the retroflex lateral approximant—a sound produced with the tongue tip curled back, found in Tamil, Malayalam, Norwegian, and other languages. The character is U+026D in the IPA Extensions block.
Render it with ɭ, ɭ, or CSS escape \26D. There is no named HTML entity for this character, so numeric codes or CSS must be used. In UTF-8 documents you can also type ɭ directly.
⚡ Quick Reference — Lowercase L Retroflex Hook Entity
U+026DIPA Extensions
ɭHexadecimal reference
ɭDecimal reference
—No named entity
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+026D
Hex code ɭ
HTML code ɭ
Named entity (none)
CSS code \26D
Meaning Latin small letter l with retroflex hook
IPA Retroflex lateral approximant
Related U+006C = l (plain lowercase)
Block IPA Extensions (U+0250–U+02AF)Complete HTML Example
A simple example showing the lowercase l retroflex hook (ɭ) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, and a CSS content escape:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
#point:after{
content: "\26D";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Symbol (hex): ɭ</p>
<p>Symbol (decimal): ɭ</p>
<p id="point">Symbol (CSS): </p>
</body>
</html>🌐 Browser Support
The lowercase l retroflex hook (ɭ) is supported in modern browsers when the font includes IPA Extensions glyphs:
👀 Live Preview
See the lowercase l retroflex hook (ɭ) in IPA and language contexts:
l (U+006C), ɫ (l middle tilde), or ɬ (l belt)🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
ɭ uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 026D to display the character. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.
Decimal HTML Code
ɭ uses the decimal Unicode value 621 to display the same character. A common method for IPA Extensions characters.
CSS Entity
\26D is used in CSS stylesheets, particularly in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::before and ::after.
Same visual result
All three methods produce the glyph: ɭ. Unicode U+026D sits in IPA Extensions. Do not confuse with plain l (U+006C), ɫ (l middle tilde), or ɬ (l belt). Use IPA-capable fonts for reliable rendering.
Use Cases
The lowercase l retroflex hook (ɭ) is commonly used in:
Standard IPA symbol for the retroflex lateral approximant in phonetic transcriptions.
Tamil, Malayalam, and related languages that use retroflex lateral sounds.
Phonetic notation for retroflex lateral sounds in Norwegian dialects.
Pronunciation keys and language-learning materials using IPA notation.
Academic papers, phonology textbooks, and language documentation using IPA symbols.
Using U+026D ensures screen readers interpret ɭ as one IPA character.
When generating phonetic markup, using ɭ or ɭ ensures correct output.
💡 Best Practices
Do
- Use U+026D (ɭ) for the IPA retroflex-l symbol; use U+006C for plain l when semantics matter
- Serve pages as UTF-8; you can also type ɭ directly in UTF-8 source
- Use IPA-capable fonts (e.g. Doulos SIL, Charis SIL) for reliable rendering
- Prefer the precomposed character U+026D over combining forms
- Pick one entity style (hex or decimal) per project for consistency
Don’t
- Substitute plain
lwhen ɭ is required for correct IPA notation - Confuse ɭ (l retroflex hook) with ɫ (l middle tilde) or ɬ (l belt)
- Expect a named HTML entity—none exists for this character
- Put CSS escape
\26Din HTML text nodes - Assume all fonts render IPA Extensions glyphs identically
Key Takeaways
Three references render ɭ; no named entity exists
ɭ ɭFor CSS stylesheets, use the escape in the content property
\26DUnicode U+026D — LATIN SMALL LETTER L WITH RETROFLEX HOOK
IPA symbol for retroflex lateral approximant in Tamil, Malayalam, Norwegian, and more
Previous: Lowercase L Middle Tilde (ɫ) Next: Lowercase L Script Small
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
ɭ (hex), ɭ (decimal), or \26D in CSS content. There is no named HTML entity for ɭ. In UTF-8 you can also type the character directly.U+026D (LATIN SMALL LETTER L WITH RETROFLEX HOOK). IPA Extensions block. Hex 026D, decimal 621. It is the IPA symbol for the retroflex lateral approximant.ɭ or ɭ, or the CSS entity \26D. In UTF-8 pages you can type ɭ directly.Explore More HTML Entities!
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