Lowercase z with curl (ʑ) is the Unicode character at U+0291 in IPA Extensions. Official name: LATIN SMALL LETTER Z WITH CURL — the letter z with a curl, used in IPA for the voiced alveolo-palatal fricative.
Remember
Character ʑ
Unicode U+0291
Hex entity ʑ
Decimal ʑ
CSS escape \0291
Named entity (none)
Not the same z · ž (ž) · ź (ź)
Prefer ʑ or ʑ in HTML when you need an entity. You can also type ʑ in a UTF-8 document.
Built with Hex: ʑ
Built with Decimal: ʑ
Built with CSS: ʑ
Typed: ʑ
IPA: [ʑ]
How It Works
1. Hex:U+0291 → ʑ in HTML. The browser turns it into ʑ.
2. Decimal: same code point as 657 → ʑ. Same result as hex.
3. CSS: use \0291 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ʑ after the paragraph text.
4. Typed ʑ: fine in UTF-8 HTML. All four lines show the same letter.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with lowercase z curl.
Named?
No named entity
HTML5 does not define a named entity for ʑ. Use ʑ or ʑ.
Look-alikes
Not ž or plain z
IPA ʑ is not orthographic ž (ž) or everyday z. Use each only where it belongs.
Spelling
Not for English words
Do not replace ordinary z with ʑ in spelling. Use it only when IPA needs this fricative.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\0291 belongs in CSS. ʑ / ʑ belong in HTML.
Encoding
Declare UTF-8
If you type ʑ directly, keep <meta charset="UTF-8"> so the file is not misread.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ʑ, not ʑ.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Lowercase z with curl (U+0291) and its numeric entity forms (ʑ, ʑ, CSS \\0291) are supported in all modern browsers with IPA-capable fonts.
✓ Universal encoding
Lowercase Z Curl (ʑ)
Encode with hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type ʑ directly in UTF-8 HTML.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerIE 9+
Yes*
U+0291Full support
Bottom line: Prefer ʑ or ʑ in HTML. Use \\0291 only inside CSS content.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: this character is U+0291 (decimal 657).
HTML: use ʑ or ʑ — there is no named entity.
CSS: use \0291 inside content for generated text.
Watch out: ʑ ≠ plain z ≠ ž ≠ ź.
One line:U+0291 → ʑ / ʑ / CSS \0291 (no named entity).
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ʑ (hex), ʑ (decimal), type ʑ in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \0291 in content. There is no HTML5 named entity for U+0291.
U+0291 (LATIN SMALL LETTER Z WITH CURL). Hex 291, decimal 657. It belongs to IPA Extensions (U+0250–U+02AF).
No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for this character. Use numeric references like ʑ or ʑ when you need an entity form.
Use it for IPA phonetic transcription of the voiced alveolo-palatal fricative, linguistic dictionaries, and language documentation that needs ʑ. Prefer plain z for ordinary spelling.
HTML entities (ʑ or ʑ) go in markup. The CSS escape \0291 goes in stylesheet strings (usually content on ::before/::after).
No. Plain z is U+007A. Z caron ž is U+017E (ž). Z with curl ʑ (U+0291) is an IPA consonant symbol — a different character for phonetic notation.
🤔
Did you know?
Lowercase z with curl is Unicode U+0291 (decimal 657) — LATIN SMALL LETTER Z WITH CURL in IPA Extensions. HTML5 has no named entity for it — use ʑ or ʑ. In IPA it marks the voiced alveolo-palatal fricative (e.g. Mandarin Pinyin j/q/x series contrasts). Not the same as plain z or z caron (ž).
