HTML Entity for Lowercase S Caron (š)

Beginner
⏱️ 5 min read
📚 Updated: Jun 2026
🎯 1 Code Example
Unicode U+0161
HTML Entity for Lowercase S Caron tutorial illustration

What You'll Learn

How to display the lowercase s with caron (š) in HTML using named entity, hexadecimal, decimal, and CSS escape methods. This character is U+0161 in the Latin Extended-A block. The caron (hček) diacritic marks a distinct consonant in Czech and Slovak (e.g. škola — school, špatný — bad), as well as Croatian, Slovenian, and other Central European languages.

Render it with š, š, š, or CSS escape \0161. The named entity š is the most readable option in HTML source.

⚡ Quick Reference — Lowercase S Caron Entity

Unicode U+0161

Latin Extended-A

Hex Code š

Hexadecimal reference

HTML Code š

Decimal reference

Named Entity š

Most readable option

Reference Table
Name           Value
────────────   ──────────
Unicode        U+0161
Hex code       š
HTML code      š
Named entity   š
CSS code       \0161
Meaning        Latin small letter s with caron
Related        U+0160 = Š (Š)
Block          Latin Extended-A (U+0100–U+017F)
1

Complete HTML Example

A simple example showing the lowercase s caron (š) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, the named entity, and a CSS content escape:

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
 <style>
  #point:after{
   content: "\0161";
  }
 </style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Symbol (hex): &#x0161;</p>
<p>Symbol (decimal): &#353;</p>
<p>Symbol (named): &scaron;</p>
<p id="point">Symbol (CSS): </p>
</body>
</html>
Try It Yourself

🌐 Browser Support

The lowercase s caron (š) and the named entity &scaron; are supported in all modern browsers as part of Latin Extended-A:

Chrome1+
Firefox1+
Safari1+
Edge12+
Opera4+
Android4.4+
iOS Safari1+

👀 Live Preview

See the lowercase s caron (š) in language and content contexts:

Large glyphš
Czechškola (school)  |  špatný (bad)  |  muška (fly)
Named entity&scaron; renders as š
UppercaseŠ (U+0160) — use &Scaron;
Not the same ass (plain)  |  ś (acute)  |  &sect; (section sign)
Numeric refs&#x0161; &#353; &scaron; \0161

🧠 How It Works

1

Hexadecimal Code

&#x0161; uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 0161 to display the character. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.

HTML markup
2

Decimal HTML Code

&#353; uses the decimal Unicode value 353 to display the same character. A common method when a numeric reference is needed.

HTML markup
3

Named Entity

&scaron; is the named entity for s caron—readable in source HTML and the preferred option for Czech, Slovak, and related language content.

HTML markup
4

CSS Entity

\0161 is used in CSS stylesheets, particularly in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::before and ::after.

CSS stylesheet
=

Same visual result

All four methods produce the glyph: š. Unicode U+0161 sits in Latin Extended-A. Uppercase equivalent: U+0160 (Š, &Scaron;). Do not confuse with plain s (U+0073) or ś (acute).

✅

Use Cases

The lowercase s caron (š) is commonly used in:

🇵 Czech & Slovak

Essential for correct Czech and Slovak spelling (e.g. škola, špatný, muška). Use the entity or UTF-8 for proper display and SEO.

🇵 Croatian & Slovenian

Used in Croatian and Slovenian orthography for the voiceless postalveolar fricative (similar to English “sh”).

📚 Language Learning

Teach correct spelling and pronunciation for Czech, Slovak, and related languages that use this character.

🌐 Multilingual Sites

Support proper rendering of names, place names, and content in Central and Eastern European languages.

📄 Typography & Publishing

Ensure correct character display in digital publications, dictionaries, and linguistic resources.

♿ Accessibility

Using the correct character (U+0161) with proper lang attributes (e.g. lang="cs") ensures assistive technologies pronounce content correctly.

🎨 CSS Generated Content

Using \0161 in the CSS content property to insert š via pseudo-elements.

💡 Best Practices

Do

  • Serve pages as UTF-8; you can type š directly in UTF-8 source
  • Use &scaron; for readable HTML when a named form is preferred
  • Set lang="cs" or lang="sk" on Czech/Slovak content for correct pronunciation hints
  • Use \0161 in CSS content when generating the symbol via pseudo-elements
  • Distinguish š (caron) from ś (acute) and plain s (U+0073)

Don’t

  • Substitute plain s when š is required in Czech or Slovak text
  • Confuse š (caron) with ś (acute) or plain s (U+0073)
  • Use U+00161 or CSS \00161—the correct code is U+0161 and \0161
  • Put CSS escape \0161 in HTML text nodes
  • Use š in Polish text where ś (acute) is required instead

Key Takeaways

1

The named entity is the most readable form

&scaron;
2

Numeric alternatives: hex and decimal

&#x0161; &#353;
3

Unicode U+0161 — LATIN SMALL LETTER S WITH CARON

4

Essential for Czech and Slovak; uppercase is Š (&Scaron;)

5

Previous: Lowercase S Acute (ś)   Next: Lowercase S Cedilla

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Use &scaron; (named), &#x0161; (hex), &#353; (decimal), or \0161 in CSS content. In UTF-8 you can also type š directly.
U+0161 (LATIN SMALL LETTER S WITH CARON). Latin Extended-A block. Hex 0161, decimal 353. Used in Czech, Slovak, Croatian, and Slovenian. Uppercase form is U+0160 (Š).
When displaying Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Slovenian, or other language text that uses š, in multilingual sites, language learning content, dictionaries, or when you need a reliable character reference. In UTF-8 pages you can type š directly.
The named HTML entity is &scaron;. You can also use &#353; or &#x0161;, or the CSS entity \0161.
HTML entity (&scaron;, &#353;, or &#x0161;) is used in HTML content; CSS entity \0161 is used in stylesheets in the content property of pseudo-elements. Both produce š.

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About the author

Mari Selvan M P
Mari Selvan M P 🔗

Developer, cloud engineer, and technical writer

  • Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
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I write practical tutorials so students and working developers can learn by doing—from databases and APIs to deployment on AWS.

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Lowercase S Acute (ś) Lowercase S Cedilla