HTML Entity for Lowercase L Script Small (ℓ)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+2113

HTML Entity for script small l (U+2113) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Lowercase L Script Small Entity?

Script small l (ℓ) is the Letterlike Symbols character at Unicode U+2113 (SCRIPT SMALL L). It is a cursive-style l — the preferred symbol for the liter (metric volume unit), distinct from plain Latin l.

Remember

Character     ℓ
Unicode       U+2113
Named entity  &ell;
Hex entity    &#x2113;
Decimal       &#8467;
CSS escape    \2113
Also means    liter (volume)

Named, hex, decimal, CSS, and a typed character all produce the same glyph: ℓ. Prefer &ell; in HTML source for clarity.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	`&ell;`	HTML markup (best default)
Hex entity	`ℓ`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`ℓ`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\2113`	Stylesheet `content`
Direct character	`ℓ`	UTF-8 HTML text

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Liter / script-l in HTML	`&ell;`
Numeric entity required	`ℓ` or `ℓ`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\2113"`
Normal letter in words	Type plain `l` — see Lowercase L
Avoid confusion with 1 or I	Prefer `&ell;` (or capital L) for liters

See it

Live Preview

Script small l in liter and comparison contexts.

Liter sample 5 ℓ · 0.75 ℓ

Large glyph ℓ

Named entity &ell; → ℓ

vs l / L / 1 ℓ | l | L | 1

With entities Named: ℓ | Hex: ℓ | Decimal: ℓ

Code

Complete HTML Example

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

Named + Hex + Decimal + CSS

Four ways to produce ℓ in a single document.

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Script Small L (&ell;)</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\2113";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Named Entity: &ell;</p>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x2113;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#8467;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p>Volume: 2 &ell;</p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Named: &ell; is the clearest HTML form and renders ℓ.

2. Hex: U+2113 → ℓ in HTML. Same result as the named entity.

3. Decimal: same code point as 8467 → ℓ. Same result as hex.

4. CSS: use \2113 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ℓ after the paragraph text.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with script small l.

Liter

Prefer ℓ for liters

Plain l can look like 1 or I. Use &ell; (or capital L) for the liter unit.

Look-alikes

Not plain l

l is U+006C. &ell; is U+2113 — a letterlike symbol, not a Basic Latin letter.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\2113 belongs in CSS. &ell; / ℓ / ℓ belong in HTML.

Encoding

Declare UTF-8

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

Semicolon

End references

Always finish with ; — write &ell;, not &ell.

Fonts

Glyph coverage

Most modern fonts include Letterlike Symbols. If ℓ looks like a box, switch to a font that supports U+2113.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Script small l (U+2113) and its entity forms (&ell;, ℓ, ℓ, CSS \\2113) are supported in all modern browsers.

✓ Universal encoding

Script Small L (&ell;)

Encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type ℓ 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+2113 Full support

Bottom line: Prefer &ell; for readable HTML (especially liters). Use \\2113 only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: this character is U+2113 (decimal 8467).
HTML: prefer &ell; — or use ℓ / ℓ.
CSS: use \2113 inside content for generated text.
Watch out: &ell; ≠ plain l — use it for liters, not for words.

One line: U+2113 → &ell; / ℓ / ℓ / CSS \2113.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display script small l (ℓ) in HTML using entities?

Use &ell; (named), ℓ (hex), ℓ (decimal), or the CSS escape \2113 in the content property. All render ℓ. Prefer &ell; in HTML source.

What is the Unicode value for script small l?

U+2113 (SCRIPT SMALL L). Hex 2113, decimal 8467. It belongs to the Letterlike Symbols block and is the standard liter symbol.

Is there a named HTML entity for U+2113?

Yes. &ell; is the HTML5 named entity for ℓ.

When should I use this HTML entity?

Use it for the liter unit (e.g. 5 ℓ), scientific and technical content, recipes, product labels, and math or physics notation that needs the script-l symbol.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for U+2113?

HTML entities (&ell;, ℓ, or ℓ) go in markup. The CSS escape \2113 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ℓ.

How is ℓ different from plain l?

Plain l is U+006C — the Latin letter. Script small l ℓ is U+2113 — a letterlike symbol used for the liter and some mathematical notation. Prefer ℓ (or L) for liters to avoid confusing l with 1 or I.

Did you know?

Script small l is Unicode U+2113 (decimal 8467) — SCRIPT SMALL L in the Letterlike Symbols block. HTML5 provides &ell; — the most readable form. It is the preferred symbol for the liter (volume unit), distinct from plain Latin l (U+006C).

Next: Lowercase L Stroke

Learn the HTML entity for lowercase l with 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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