Lowercase v with hook (ʋ) is the IPA Extensions character at Unicode U+028B (LATIN SMALL LETTER V WITH HOOK). It looks like a v with a curled hook. In IPA it marks the labiodental approximant [ʋ]. HTML5 defines no named entity for it.
Remember
Character ʋ
Unicode U+028B
Named entity (none)
Hex entity ʋ
Decimal ʋ
CSS escape \028B
All of these produce the same glyph: ʋ. Prefer a pasted ʋ 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
ʋ
HTML text (UTF-8 default)
Named entity
none
Not defined in HTML5
Hex entity
ʋ
HTML markup
Decimal entity
ʋ
HTML markup
CSS escape
\028B
Stylesheet content
When to Use Which
Situation
Use
IPA / UTF-8 phonetic text
Type or paste ʋ
Numeric entity required
ʋ or ʋ
Generated text via ::before / ::after
content: "\028B"
Plain letter v
Type v (U+0076) — see Related Topics
Looking for a named form
None — use hex or decimal instead
See it
Live Preview
Lowercase v with hook rendered in common contexts.
IPA[ʋ]
Large glyphʋ
Case pairƲ ʋ
With entitiesHex: ʋ | Decimal: ʋ
Not the samev (U+0076)
Code
Complete HTML Example
One page that shows lowercase v with hook with hex, decimal, direct, and CSS forms. Use View Output or open the live editor.
Hex + Decimal + Direct + CSS
Four ways to produce ʋ in a single document (no named entity).
Using Hex Code: ʋ
Using HTML Code: ʋ
Using Direct Character: ʋ
Using CSS Entity: ʋ
How It Works
1. Hex:U+028B → ʋ in HTML. Reliable numeric form.
2. Decimal: same code point as 651 → ʋ. Same glyph.
3. Direct: paste ʋ in a UTF-8 file with <meta charset="UTF-8">.
4. CSS: use \028B in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ʋ after the paragraph text.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with the v hook entity.
Named
No named entity
HTML5 has no &... name for U+028B — use hex or decimal instead.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\028B belongs in CSS. ʋ / ʋ belong in HTML.
Look-alikes
Not plain v
Plain v is U+0076. This IPA letter has a hooked shape for [ʋ].
Case
ʋ vs Ʋ
Uppercase is U+01B2 — a different code point from U+028B.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ʋ, not ʋ.
UTF-8
Declare charset
If you paste ʋ directly, serve the page as UTF-8 with <meta charset="UTF-8">.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Lowercase v with hook (U+028B) and its entity forms (ʋ, ʋ, CSS \\028B) are supported in all mainstream browsers.
✓ Universal support
Lowercase V Hook (ʋ)
Paste ʋ, 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+028B / entitiesFull support
Bottom line: Prefer a pasted ʋ in UTF-8 text. Use ʋ / ʋ when a numeric form is required, and \\028B only inside CSS content.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: v with hook is U+028B (decimal 651), IPA Extensions.
HTML: no named entity — use ʋ or ʋ.
CSS: use \028B inside content for generated text.
Use: IPA [ʋ] — not the same as plain v.
One line:U+028B → ʋ / ʋ / CSS \028B (no named entity).
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ʋ (hex), ʋ (decimal), type ʋ in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \028B in content. There is no HTML5 named entity for U+028B.
U+028B (LATIN SMALL LETTER V WITH HOOK). Hex 028B, decimal 651. It belongs to IPA Extensions and represents the labiodental approximant [ʋ].
No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for this character. Use numeric references like ʋ or ʋ 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 ʋ in UTF-8 when possible.
HTML entities (ʋ or ʋ) go in markup. The CSS escape \028B is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ʋ.
Plain v is U+0076, a Basic Latin letter. ʋ (U+028B) is an IPA letter with a hooked shape for the labiodental approximant. Do not substitute one for another.
🤔
Did you know?
Lowercase v with hook (ʋ) is Unicode U+028B (decimal 651) — LATIN SMALL LETTER V WITH HOOK in IPA Extensions. HTML5 has no named entity — use ʋ or ʋ. In IPA it is the labiodental approximant [ʋ].
