HTML Entity for Lowercase Y Reverse (ʎ)

Beginner
⏱️ 5 min read
📚 Updated: Jun 2026
🎯 1 Code Example
Unicode U+028E
HTML Entity for Lowercase Y Reverse tutorial illustration

What You'll Learn

How to display the lowercase y reverse (ʎ) in HTML using hexadecimal, decimal, and CSS escape methods. This character is officially named LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED Y—a rotated y used in IPA for the palatal lateral approximant [ʎ] (as in Spanish calle [kaʎe] or Italian figlio [fiʎo] in many transcriptions). It is U+028E in the IPA Extensions block.

Render it with ʎ, ʎ, or CSS escape \028E. There is no named HTML entity for this character. Do not confuse ʎ (turned y) with plain y (U+0079), ý (y acute), or ŷ (y circumflex).

⚡ Quick Reference — Lowercase Y Reverse Entity

Unicode U+028E

IPA Extensions

Hex Code ʎ

Hexadecimal reference

HTML Code ʎ

Decimal reference

Named Entity —

No named entity

Reference Table
Name           Value
────────────   ──────────
Unicode        U+028E
Hex code       ʎ
HTML code      ʎ
Named entity   (none)
CSS code       \028E
Meaning        Latin small letter turned y (reverse y)
Also called    Turned y
IPA            Palatal lateral approximant [ʎ]
Related        plain y (U+0079) = Latin letter
Block          IPA Extensions (U+0250–U+02AF)
1

Complete HTML Example

A simple example showing the lowercase y reverse (ʎ) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, and a CSS content escape:

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
 <style>
  #point:after{
   content: "\028E";
  }
 </style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Symbol (hex): &#x028E;</p>
<p>Symbol (decimal): &#654;</p>
<p id="point">Symbol (CSS): </p>
</body>
</html>
Try It Yourself

🌐 Browser Support

The lowercase y reverse (ʎ) is supported in modern browsers when the font includes IPA Extensions glyphs:

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

👀 Live Preview

See the lowercase y reverse (ʎ) in phonetic and content contexts:

Large glyphʎ
IPAPalatal lateral approximant: [ʎ] (e.g. Spanish calle [kaʎe], Italian figlio [fiʎo])
Unicode nameLatin small letter turned y
Latin letterPlain y (U+0079) is the everyday Latin letter, not IPA turned y
Not the same asplain y (U+0079)  |  ý (y acute)  |  ʍ (w reverse)
Numeric refs&#x028E; &#654; \028E

🧠 How It Works

1

Hexadecimal Code

&#x028E; uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 028E to display the character. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.

HTML markup
2

Decimal HTML Code

&#654; uses the decimal Unicode value 654 to display the same character. A common method for IPA Extensions characters.

HTML markup
3

CSS Entity

\028E is used in CSS stylesheets, particularly in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::before and ::after.

CSS stylesheet
=

Same visual result

All three methods produce the glyph: ʎ. Unicode U+028E sits in IPA Extensions. Do not confuse with plain y (U+0079), ý (y acute), or ŷ (y circumflex). Use IPA-capable fonts for reliable rendering.

✅

Use Cases

The lowercase y reverse (ʎ) is commonly used in:

🎤 IPA Phonetics

Represents the palatal lateral approximant [ʎ]—as in Spanish calle [kaʎe] and Italian figlio [fiʎo] in many transcriptions.

📝 Linguistics & Phonology

Phonetic transcription, dictionaries, and academic papers using IPA consonant symbols.

🔤 Education

Language learning apps, pronunciation guides, and phonetics courses teaching IPA consonants.

🇪🇸 Romance Languages

Transcribing Spanish ll, Italian gli, and related palatal lateral sounds in linguistic content.

📄 Academic Content

Character charts and linguistic resources requiring precise IPA representation.

🎨 Typography

Font specimens and design references showcasing IPA Extensions characters.

⚙ Programmatic HTML

When building HTML from phonetic data, using &#654; or &#x028E; guarantees correct output.

💡 Best Practices

Do

  • Serve pages as UTF-8; you can type ʎ directly in UTF-8 source
  • Use numeric references (&#x028E; or &#654;) when escaping is required
  • Use \028E in CSS content when generating the symbol via pseudo-elements
  • Use fonts that support IPA Extensions (U+0250–U+02AF)
  • Distinguish ʎ (turned y) from plain y and accented y letters

Don’t

  • Substitute plain y when ʎ is required for IPA accuracy
  • Confuse ʎ (turned y consonant) with ý (y acute) or ŷ (y circumflex)
  • Use the old incorrect CSS escape \0028E—the correct value is \028E
  • Expect a named HTML entity—none exists for ʎ
  • Put CSS escape \028E in HTML text nodes

Key Takeaways

1

Type ʎ directly, or use hex/decimal references

&#x028E; &#654;
2

For CSS stylesheets, use the escape in the content property

\028E
3

Unicode U+028E — LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED Y

4

IPA palatal lateral approximant [ʎ]; not the plain Latin letter y

5

Previous: Lowercase Y Macron (ȳ)   Next: Lowercase Y Stroke (ɏ)

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Use &#x028E; (hex), &#654; (decimal), or \028E in CSS content. There is no named HTML entity. In UTF-8 you can also type ʎ directly.
U+028E (LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED Y). IPA Extensions block. Hex 028E, decimal 654. Also called turned y. Used in IPA for the palatal lateral approximant [ʎ].
When writing IPA phonetic transcriptions (e.g. Spanish ll, Italian gli), linguistic notation, pronunciation guides, or academic content requiring turned y.
ʎ (U+028E) is turned y—an IPA consonant symbol for the palatal lateral approximant [ʎ]. Plain y (U+0079) is the standard Latin letter used in everyday text. They are different characters with different Unicode values.
No. Use &#654; or &#x028E; in HTML, or \028E in CSS.

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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.

AWS Certified Developer – Associate (Credly)

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Lowercase Y Macron (ȳ) Lowercase Y Stroke (ɏ)