Lowercase w reverse (ʍ) is the IPA Extensions character at Unicode U+028D (LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED W). It looks like an upside-down w. In IPA it marks the voiceless labial-velar approximant [ʍ]. HTML5 defines no named entity for it.
Remember
Character ʍ
Unicode U+028D
Named entity (none)
Hex entity ʍ
Decimal ʍ
CSS escape \028D
All of these produce the same glyph: ʍ. Prefer a pasted ʍ 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
ʍ
HTML text (UTF-8 default)
Named entity
none
Not defined in HTML5
Hex entity
ʍ
HTML markup
Decimal entity
ʍ
HTML markup
CSS escape
\028D
Stylesheet content
When to Use Which
Situation
Use
IPA / UTF-8 phonetic text
Type or paste ʍ
Numeric entity required
ʍ or ʍ
Generated text via ::before / ::after
content: "\028D"
Plain letter w
Type w (U+0077) — see Related Topics
Looking for a named form
None — use hex or decimal instead
See it
Live Preview
Lowercase turned w rendered in common contexts.
IPA[ʍ]
Large glyphʍ
vs letter wʍ | w
With entitiesHex: ʍ | Decimal: ʍ
Not the samew (U+0077) · ŵ (w circumflex)
Code
Complete HTML Example
One page that shows lowercase turned w with hex, decimal, direct, and CSS forms. Use View Output or open the live editor.
Hex + Decimal + Direct + CSS
Four ways to produce ʍ in a single document (no named entity).
Using Hex Code: ʍ
Using HTML Code: ʍ
Using Direct Character: ʍ
Using CSS Entity: ʍ
How It Works
1. Hex:U+028D → ʍ in HTML. Reliable numeric form.
2. Decimal: same code point as 653 → ʍ. Same glyph.
3. Direct: paste ʍ in a UTF-8 file with <meta charset="UTF-8">.
4. CSS: use \028D in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ʍ after the paragraph text.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with the turned w entity.
Named
No named entity
HTML5 has no &... name for U+028D — use hex or decimal instead.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\028D belongs in CSS. ʍ / ʍ belong in HTML.
Look-alikes
Not plain w
Plain w is U+0077. This IPA letter is a turned (upside-down) w for [ʍ].
Case
No uppercase pair
Unicode does not define a standard capital for U+028D — treat it as a lowercase IPA letter.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ʍ, not ʍ.
UTF-8
Declare charset
If you paste ʍ directly, serve the page as UTF-8 with <meta charset="UTF-8">.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Lowercase turned w (U+028D) and its entity forms (ʍ, ʍ, CSS \\028D) are supported in all mainstream browsers.
✓ Universal support
Lowercase W Reverse (ʍ)
Paste ʍ, 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+028D / entitiesFull support
Bottom line: Prefer a pasted ʍ in UTF-8 text. Use ʍ / ʍ when a numeric form is required, and \\028D only inside CSS content.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: turned w is U+028D (decimal 653), IPA Extensions.
HTML: no named entity — use ʍ or ʍ.
CSS: use \028D inside content for generated text.
Use: IPA [ʍ] — not the same as plain w.
One line:U+028D → ʍ / ʍ / CSS \028D (no named entity).
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ʍ (hex), ʍ (decimal), type ʍ in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \028D in content. There is no HTML5 named entity for U+028D.
U+028D (LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED W). Hex 028D, decimal 653. It belongs to IPA Extensions and represents the voiceless labial-velar approximant [ʍ].
No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for this character. Use numeric references like ʍ or ʍ when you need an entity form.
Use it for IPA phonetic notation, linguistic examples, or CSS-generated content. Prefer a pasted ʍ in UTF-8 when possible.
HTML entities (ʍ or ʍ) go in markup. The CSS escape \028D is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ʍ.
Plain w is U+0077, a Basic Latin letter. ʍ (U+028D) is a turned (upside-down) w used as an IPA consonant symbol. Do not substitute one for another.
🤔
Did you know?
Lowercase w reverse (ʍ) is Unicode U+028D (decimal 653) — LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED W in IPA Extensions. HTML5 has no named entity — use ʍ or ʍ. In IPA it is the voiceless labial-velar approximant [ʍ] (often described as a voiceless w).
