Lowercase u with middle bar (ʉ) is the IPA Extensions character at Unicode U+0289 (LATIN SMALL LETTER U BAR). A horizontal bar crosses through the letter. In IPA it marks the close central rounded vowel [ʉ]. HTML5 defines no named entity for it.
Remember
Character ʉ
Unicode U+0289
Named entity (none)
Hex entity ʉ
Decimal ʉ
CSS escape \0289
All of these produce the same glyph: ʉ. Prefer a pasted ʉ in UTF-8 pages; use numeric or CSS forms when you need an escape.
Reference
Quick Reference
One table for every form you will actually use.
Form
Code
Where it goes
Direct character
ʉ
HTML text (UTF-8 default)
Named entity
none
Not defined in HTML5
Hex entity
ʉ
HTML markup
Decimal entity
ʉ
HTML markup
CSS escape
\0289
Stylesheet content
When to Use Which
Situation
Use
IPA / UTF-8 phonetic text
Type or paste ʉ
Numeric entity required
ʉ or ʉ
Generated text via ::before / ::after
content: "\0289"
ū (macron above)
ū (U+016B) — different letter
Looking for a named form
None — use hex or decimal instead
See it
Live Preview
Lowercase u with middle bar rendered in common contexts.
IPA[ʉ]
Large glyphʉ
Case pairɄ ʉ
With entitiesHex: ʉ | Decimal: ʉ
Not the sameu (U+0075) · ū (ū)
Code
Complete HTML Example
One page that shows lowercase u with middle bar with hex, decimal, direct, and CSS forms. Use View Output or open the live editor.
Hex + Decimal + Direct + CSS
Four ways to produce ʉ in a single document (no named entity).
html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Lowercase U Middle Bar (ʉ) in HTML</title>
<style>
#point::after {
content: "\0289";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Using Hex Code: ʉ</p>
<p>Using HTML Code: ʉ</p>
<p>Using Direct Character: ʉ</p>
<p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
</body>
</html>
Using Hex Code: ʉ
Using HTML Code: ʉ
Using Direct Character: ʉ
Using CSS Entity: ʉ
How It Works
1. Hex:U+0289 → ʉ in HTML. Reliable numeric form.
2. Decimal: same code point as 649 → ʉ. Same glyph.
3. Direct: paste ʉ in a UTF-8 file with <meta charset="UTF-8">.
4. CSS: use \0289 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ʉ after the paragraph text.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with the u middle bar entity.
Named
No named entity
HTML5 has no &... name for U+0289 — use hex or decimal instead.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\0289 belongs in CSS. ʉ / ʉ belong in HTML.
Look-alikes
Not u or ū
Plain u is U+0075; macron ū is above the letter. Middle bar crosses through.
Case
ʉ vs Ʉ
Uppercase is U+0244 — a different code point from U+0289.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ʉ, not ʉ.
UTF-8
Declare charset
If you paste ʉ directly, serve the page as UTF-8 with <meta charset="UTF-8">.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Lowercase u with middle bar (U+0289) and its entity forms (ʉ, ʉ, CSS \\0289) are supported in all mainstream browsers.
✓ Universal support
Lowercase U Middle Bar (ʉ)
Paste ʉ, or encode with hex, decimal, or CSS escape — same glyph everywhere. No named entity.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerAll versions
Yes
U+0289 / entitiesFull support
Bottom line: Prefer a pasted ʉ in UTF-8 text. Use ʉ / ʉ when a numeric form is required, and \\0289 only inside CSS content.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: u with middle bar is U+0289 (decimal 649), IPA Extensions.
HTML: no named entity — use ʉ or ʉ.
CSS: use \0289 inside content for generated text.
Use: IPA [ʉ] — not the same as plain u or ū.
One line:U+0289 → ʉ / ʉ / CSS \0289 (no named entity).
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ʉ (hex), ʉ (decimal), type ʉ in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \0289 in content. There is no HTML5 named entity for U+0289.
U+0289 (LATIN SMALL LETTER U BAR). Hex 0289, decimal 649. It belongs to IPA Extensions and represents the close central rounded vowel [ʉ].
No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for this character. Use numeric references like ʉ or ʉ when you need an entity form.
Use it for IPA phonetic notation, African orthographies that include this letter, linguistic examples, or CSS-generated content. Prefer a pasted ʉ in UTF-8 when possible.
HTML entities (ʉ or ʉ) go in markup. The CSS escape \0289 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ʉ.
Plain u is U+0075. ū (U+016B, ū) has a macron above the letter. ʉ (U+0289) has a bar through the middle — a different letter used mainly in IPA. Do not substitute one for another.
🤔
Did you know?
Lowercase u with middle bar (ʉ) is Unicode U+0289 (decimal 649) — LATIN SMALL LETTER U BAR in IPA Extensions. HTML5 has no named entity — use ʉ or ʉ. In IPA it is the close central rounded vowel [ʉ].
