Lowercase s is the Basic Latin character at Unicode U+0073 (LATIN SMALL LETTER S). You can type s directly in HTML, or write it with a numeric character reference when you need an explicit entity form.
Remember
Character s
Unicode U+0073
Hex entity s
Decimal s
CSS escape \0073
Named entity (none)
Not the same ś (ś)
All of these produce the same glyph: s. Prefer typing s in normal page text; use entities for CSS content, generated markup, or when encoding must be explicit.
Inline textThe letter s appears in words like site and style.
Large glyphs
Alphabetq r s t u
Monospacelet tag = "s";
With entitiesHex: s | Decimal: s
Not the sameś (s with acute, U+015B)
Code
Complete HTML Example
One page that shows lowercase s with the hex entity, decimal entity, CSS escape, and a typed character. Use View Output or open the live editor.
Hex + Decimal + CSS + Typed
All four ways to produce s in a single document.
html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Lowercase S (s) in HTML</title>
<style>
#point::after {
content: "\0073";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Lowercase S using Hex Code: s</p>
<p>Lowercase S using HTML Code: s</p>
<p id="point">Lowercase S using CSS Entity: </p>
<p>Typed directly: s</p>
</body>
</html>
Lowercase S using Hex Code: s
Lowercase S using HTML Code: s
Lowercase S using CSS Entity: s
Typed directly: s
How It Works
1. Hex:U+0073 → s in HTML. The browser turns it into s.
2. Decimal: same code point as 115 → s. Same result as hex.
3. CSS: use \0073 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that s after the paragraph text.
4. Typed s: best for normal text. All four lines show the same letter.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with the lowercase s entity.
Named?
No &s;
HTML5 does not define a named entity for ASCII letters. Use numeric forms.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\0073 belongs in CSS. s / s belong in HTML.
Acute
Not ś
S with acute is U+015B (ś) — a separate letter. See S Acute.
Default
Type s when you can
Entities are for encoding needs — not required for ordinary body text.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write s, not s.
Case
s vs S
Uppercase S is U+0053 — a different code point from U+0073.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Lowercase s (U+0073) and its numeric entity forms (s, s, CSS \\0073) are supported in all mainstream browsers.
✓ Universal support
Lowercase S (s)
Type s, or encode with hex, decimal, or CSS escape — same glyph everywhere.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerAll versions
Yes
U+0073 / entitiesFull support
Bottom line: Use a typed s for normal text. Prefer s or s in HTML when encoding must be explicit, and \\0073 only inside CSS content.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: lowercase s is U+0073 (decimal 115).
HTML: use s or s when you need an entity.
CSS: use \0073 inside content for generated text.
Default: type s directly unless encoding requires an entity.
One line:U+0073 → type s, or encode as s / s / CSS \0073.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use s (hex), s (decimal), or the CSS escape \0073 in the content property. All render the letter s. In most cases you can also type s directly.
U+0073 (LATIN SMALL LETTER S). Hex 73, decimal 115. It belongs to the Basic Latin (ASCII) block and is the nineteenth letter of the Latin alphabet.
No. ASCII letters like s do not have named HTML entities in HTML5, so you should use numeric references like s or s when you need an entity form.
Use entities when generating content in CSS, when you want explicit encoding, or when outputting into contexts where escaping is required. For normal body text, typing s directly is usually best.
HTML entities (s or s) go in markup. The CSS escape \0073 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render s.
Plain s is U+0073. Latin small letter s with acute ś is U+015B (ś) — a different character used in Polish and other languages. Do not substitute one for the other.
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Did you know?
Lowercase s is Unicode U+0073 (decimal 115). HTML5 has no named entity for it — use s or s when you need an entity form. Accented forms like ś (U+015B, ś) are different characters.
