Lowercase z with retroflex hook (ʐ) is the IPA Extensions character at Unicode U+0290 (LATIN SMALL LETTER Z WITH RETROFLEX HOOK). It looks like a z with a retroflex hook. In IPA it marks the voiced retroflex fricative [ʐ]. HTML5 defines no named entity for it.
Remember
Character ʐ
Unicode U+0290
Named entity (none)
Hex entity ʐ
Decimal ʐ
CSS escape \0290
All of these produce the same glyph: ʐ. Prefer a pasted ʐ 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
ʐ
HTML text (UTF-8 default)
Named entity
none
Not defined in HTML5
Hex entity
ʐ
HTML markup
Decimal entity
ʐ
HTML markup
CSS escape
\0290
Stylesheet content
When to Use Which
Situation
Use
IPA / UTF-8 phonetic text
Type or paste ʐ
Numeric entity required
ʐ or ʐ
Generated text via ::before / ::after
content: "\0290"
Plain letter z
Type z (U+007A) — see Related Topics
Looking for a named form
None — use hex or decimal instead
See it
Live Preview
Lowercase z with retroflex hook rendered in common contexts.
IPA[ʐ]
Large glyphʐ
vs letter zʐ | z
With entitiesHex: ʐ | Decimal: ʐ
Not the samez (U+007A) · ȥ (z hook)
Code
Complete HTML Example
One page that shows lowercase z with retroflex hook with hex, decimal, direct, and CSS forms. Use View Output or open the live editor.
Hex + Decimal + Direct + CSS
Four ways to produce ʐ in a single document (no named entity).
Using Hex Code: ʐ
Using HTML Code: ʐ
Using Direct Character: ʐ
Using CSS Entity: ʐ
How It Works
1. Hex:U+0290 → ʐ in HTML. Reliable numeric form.
2. Decimal: same code point as 656 → ʐ. Same glyph.
3. Direct: paste ʐ in a UTF-8 file with <meta charset="UTF-8">.
4. CSS: use \0290 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ʐ after the paragraph text.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with the z retroflex hook entity.
Named
No named entity
HTML5 has no &... name for U+0290 — use hex or decimal instead.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\0290 belongs in CSS. ʐ / ʐ belong in HTML.
Look-alikes
Not plain z or ȥ
Plain z is U+007A; z with hook is U+0225. This IPA letter is U+0290.
Case
No uppercase pair
Unicode does not define a standard capital for U+0290 — treat it as a lowercase IPA letter.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ʐ, not ʐ.
UTF-8
Declare charset
If you paste ʐ directly, serve the page as UTF-8 with <meta charset="UTF-8">.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Lowercase z with retroflex hook (U+0290) and its entity forms (ʐ, ʐ, CSS \\0290) are supported in all mainstream browsers.
✓ Universal support
Lowercase Z Retroflex Hook (ʐ)
Paste ʐ, 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+0290 / entitiesFull support
Bottom line: Prefer a pasted ʐ in UTF-8 text. Use ʐ / ʐ when a numeric form is required, and \\0290 only inside CSS content.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: z with retroflex hook is U+0290 (decimal 656), IPA Extensions.
HTML: no named entity — use ʐ or ʐ.
CSS: use \0290 inside content for generated text.
Use: IPA [ʐ] — not the same as plain z or ȥ.
One line:U+0290 → ʐ / ʐ / CSS \0290 (no named entity).
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ʐ (hex), ʐ (decimal), type ʐ in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \0290 in content. There is no HTML5 named entity for U+0290.
U+0290 (LATIN SMALL LETTER Z WITH RETROFLEX HOOK). Hex 0290, decimal 656. It belongs to IPA Extensions and represents the voiced retroflex fricative [ʐ].
No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for this character. Use numeric references like ʐ or ʐ when you need an entity form.
Use it for IPA phonetic notation, linguistic examples, or CSS-generated content. Prefer a pasted ʐ in UTF-8 when possible.
HTML entities (ʐ or ʐ) go in markup. The CSS escape \0290 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ʐ.
Plain z is U+007A. Z with hook ȥ is U+0225 (Latin Extended-B). Z with retroflex hook ʐ is U+0290 — an IPA letter. Do not substitute one for another.
🤔
Did you know?
Lowercase z with retroflex hook (ʐ) is Unicode U+0290 (decimal 656) — LATIN SMALL LETTER Z WITH RETROFLEX HOOK in IPA Extensions. HTML5 has no named entity — use ʐ or ʐ. In IPA it is the voiced retroflex fricative [ʐ].
