HTML Entity for Lowercase Z Dot Above (ż)
What You'll Learn
How to display the lowercase z with dot above (ż) in HTML using named entity, hexadecimal, decimal, and CSS escape methods. Essential for Polish and Kashubian text, it appears in words such as żółć (bile), może (maybe), and przez (through). It is U+017C in the Latin Extended-A block—a distinct letter in the Polish alphabet, not a phonetic symbol.
Render it with ż, ż, ż, or CSS escape \017C. The named entity ż is often the most readable option. Do not confuse ż (z dot above) with plain z (U+007A), ź (z acute), or ž (z caron).
⚡ Quick Reference — Lowercase Z Dot Above Entity
U+017CLatin Extended-A
żHexadecimal reference
żDecimal reference
żMost readable option
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+017C
Hex code ż
HTML code ż
Named entity ż
CSS code \017C
Meaning Latin small letter z with dot above
Also known as z dot above, Polish ż
Related U+017B = Ż (Ż)
Block Latin Extended-A (U+0100–U+017F)Complete HTML Example
A simple example showing the lowercase z dot above (ż) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, the named entity, and a CSS content escape:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
#point:after{
content: "\017C";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Symbol (hex): ż</p>
<p>Symbol (decimal): ż</p>
<p>Symbol (named): ż</p>
<p id="point">Symbol (CSS): </p>
</body>
</html>🌐 Browser Support
The lowercase z dot above (ż) and the named entity ż are supported in all modern browsers:
👀 Live Preview
See the lowercase z dot above (ż) in Polish and multilingual contexts:
🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
ż uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 017C to display the character. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.
Decimal HTML Code
ż uses the decimal Unicode value 380 to display the same character. A common method for Latin Extended-A characters.
Named Entity
ż is the standard named entity for ż—readable in source HTML and part of the HTML5 entity set.
CSS Entity
\017C is used in CSS stylesheets, particularly in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::before and ::after.
Same visual result
All four methods produce the glyph: ż. Unicode U+017C sits in Latin Extended-A. Uppercase equivalent: U+017B (Ż). Do not confuse with plain z (U+007A), ź (z acute), or ž (z caron).
Use Cases
The lowercase z dot above (ż) is commonly used in:
Essential in words like żółć (bile), może (maybe), and przez (through). A distinct letter in the Polish alphabet.
Used in Kashubian orthography where ż represents a distinct sound.
Polish place names, surnames, and brands that include ż must display correctly.
Language learning apps, dictionaries, and pronunciation guides teaching Polish.
Multilingual websites, forms, and CMS content requiring correct Polish spelling.
Headlines, logos, and styled text requiring correct dot-above spelling.
Correct rendering so users can find content with Polish words containing ż.
💡 Best Practices
Do
- Use
żin HTML when possible for readability - Serve pages as UTF-8; you can also type ż directly in UTF-8 source
- Set
lang="pl"on Polish content for correct pronunciation - Use fonts that support Latin Extended-A characters
- Distinguish ż (dot above) from plain
z, ź (acute), and ž (caron)
Don’t
- Substitute plain
zwhen ż is required for correct Polish or Kashubian spelling - Confuse ż (dot above) with ź (acute) or ž (caron)—they are different Polish letters
- Use
·orz·as a substitute—that is not ż - Use the old incorrect CSS escape
\0017C—the correct value is\017C - Put CSS escape
\017Cin HTML text nodes
Key Takeaways
Four references render ż; named entity is most readable
ż ż żFor CSS stylesheets, use the escape in the content property
\017CUnicode U+017C — LATIN SMALL LETTER Z WITH DOT ABOVE
Essential for Polish and Kashubian; uppercase is Ż (U+017B, Ż)
Previous: Lowercase Z Curl (ʑ) Next: Lowercase Z Hook (ȥ)
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
ż (named), ż (hex), ż (decimal), or \017C in CSS content. All four methods render ż correctly.U+017C (LATIN SMALL LETTER Z WITH DOT ABOVE). Latin Extended-A block. Hex 017C, decimal 380. Used in Polish and Kashubian. Uppercase form is U+017B (Ż) with named entity Ż.ż), used in Polish and Kashubian. z (U+007A) is the plain lowercase letter. They are different characters with different Unicode values.ż is easier to read in hand-written HTML. Numeric codes are useful when generating markup programmatically. All produce the same character ż.Explore More HTML Entities!
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