HTML Entity for Lowercase W Circumflex (ŵ)

Beginner
⏱️ 5 min read
📚 Updated: Jun 2026
🎯 1 Code Example
Unicode U+0175

What You'll Learn

How to display the lowercase w with circumflex (ŵ) in HTML using named entity, hexadecimal, decimal, and CSS escape methods. This letter is essential in Welsh orthography, where ŵ represents a distinct vowel sound. It appears in words such as gŵr (man) and trawsŵydd (translator). It is U+0175 in the Latin Extended-A block.

Render it with ŵ, ŵ, ŵ, or CSS escape \0175. The named entity ŵ is often the most readable option. Do not confuse ŵ (w circumflex) with plain w (U+0077).

⚡ Quick Reference — Lowercase W Circumflex Entity

Unicode U+0175

Latin Extended-A

Hex Code ŵ

Hexadecimal reference

HTML Code ŵ

Decimal reference

Named Entity ŵ

Most readable option

Reference Table
Name           Value
────────────   ──────────
Unicode        U+0175
Hex code       ŵ
HTML code      ŵ
Named entity   ŵ
CSS code       \0175
Meaning        Latin small letter w with circumflex
Also known as  w circumflex
Related        U+0174 = Ŵ (Ŵ)
Block          Latin Extended-A (U+0100–U+017F)
1

Complete HTML Example

A simple example showing the lowercase w circumflex (ŵ) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, the named entity, and a CSS content escape:

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
 <style>
  #point:after{
   content: "\0175";
  }
 </style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Symbol (hex): &#x0175;</p>
<p>Symbol (decimal): &#373;</p>
<p>Symbol (named): &wcirc;</p>
<p id="point">Symbol (CSS): </p>
</body>
</html>
Try It Yourself

🌐 Browser Support

The lowercase w circumflex (ŵ) and the named entity &wcirc; are supported in all modern browsers:

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

👀 Live Preview

See the lowercase w circumflex (ŵ) in Welsh and multilingual contexts:

Large glyphŵ
Welshgŵr, trawsŵydd, ŵyl
Named entity&wcirc; renders as ŵ
UppercaseŴ (U+0174) — &Wcirc;
Not the same asplain w (U+0077)  |  ʍ (turned w)  |  ŷ (w grave)
Numeric refs&#x0175; &#373; &wcirc; \0175

🧠 How It Works

1

Hexadecimal Code

&#x0175; uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 0175 to display the character. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.

HTML markup
2

Decimal HTML Code

&#373; uses the decimal Unicode value 373 to display the same character. A common method for Latin Extended-A characters.

HTML markup
3

Named Entity

&wcirc; is the standard named entity for ŵ—readable in source HTML and part of the HTML5 entity set.

HTML markup
4

CSS Entity

\0175 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: ŵ. Unicode U+0175 sits in Latin Extended-A. Uppercase equivalent: U+0174 (Ŵ). Do not confuse with plain w (U+0077) or ʍ (turned w).

Use Cases

The lowercase w circumflex (ŵ) is commonly used in:

🇬🇧 Welsh

Essential in words like gŵr (man), trawsŵydd (translator), and ŵyl (festival). A distinct letter in Welsh orthography.

📝 Proper names

Welsh place names, surnames, and brands that include ŵ must display correctly for accurate spelling.

🔤 Education

Welsh language learning apps, dictionaries, and pronunciation guides teaching the ŵ sound.

🌐 Internationalization

Multilingual websites, forms, and CMS content requiring correct Welsh spelling and typography.

📄 Linguistics

Academic papers, character charts, and linguistic resources documenting Celtic languages.

🎨 Typography

Headlines, logos, and styled text in Welsh requiring correct circumflex spelling.

🔍 Search & SEO

Correct rendering so users can find Welsh content (e.g. searching for “gŵr” or “trawsŵydd”).

💡 Best Practices

Do

  • Use &wcirc; in HTML when possible for readability
  • Serve pages as UTF-8; you can also type ŵ directly in UTF-8 source
  • Set lang="cy" on Welsh content for correct pronunciation
  • Use fonts that support Latin Extended-A characters
  • Distinguish ŵ (circumflex) from plain w and ʍ (turned w)

Don’t

  • Substitute plain w when ŵ is required for correct Welsh spelling
  • Confuse ŵ (circumflex) with ŷ (w grave) or ʍ (turned w)
  • Use the old incorrect CSS escape \00175—the correct value is \0175
  • Put CSS escape \0175 in HTML text nodes
  • Omit UTF-8 encoding on pages with accented characters

Key Takeaways

1

Four references render ŵ; named entity is most readable

&#x0175; &#373; &wcirc;
2

For CSS stylesheets, use the escape in the content property

\0175
3

Unicode U+0175 — LATIN SMALL LETTER W WITH CIRCUMFLEX

4

Essential for Welsh; uppercase is Ŵ (U+0174, &Wcirc;)

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Use &wcirc; (named), &#x0175; (hex), &#373; (decimal), or \0175 in CSS content. All four methods render ŵ correctly.
U+0175 (LATIN SMALL LETTER W WITH CIRCUMFLEX). Latin Extended-A block. Hex 0175, decimal 373. Used primarily in Welsh. Uppercase form is U+0174 (Ŵ) with named entity &Wcirc;.
For Welsh words (e.g. gŵr, trawsŵydd), Welsh language sites, linguistic content, dictionaries, and any text requiring correct Welsh spelling with this character.
No. ŵ (U+0175) is w with circumflex (&wcirc;), a distinct letter in Welsh. Plain w (U+0077) has no accent. In Welsh, using the wrong character changes spelling and meaning.
The named entity &wcirc; is easier to read in hand-written HTML. Numeric codes are useful when generating markup programmatically. All produce the same character ŵ.

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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
  • 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.

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