Combining macron is the Combining Diacritical Marks character at Unicode U+0304 (COMBINING MACRON). It is a non-spacing mark placed immediately after a base letter to add a flat bar above it — often for long vowels, phonetics, or statistical overlines.
Remember
Character ◌̄ (on base letter)
Unicode U+0304
Hex entity ̄
Decimal ̄
CSS escape \0304
Named entity (none)
Hex, decimal, and CSS all produce the same combining mark. Write it right after the base letter (ā → ā). Prefer precomposed letters like ā when they exist.
Reference
Quick Reference
One table for every form you will actually use.
Form
Code
Where it goes
Hex entity
̄
HTML markup (after base letter)
Decimal entity
̄
HTML markup (after base letter)
CSS escape
\0304
Stylesheet content
Named entity
—
Not defined in HTML5
Precomposed (preferred)
ā, ū, …
When a single code point exists
When to Use Which
Situation
Use
Letter already has a precomposed form (ā, ē, ū, …)
Using Hex Code: ā
Using HTML Code: ē
x̄ (CSS macron on x)
Prefer precomposed when possible: ā
How It Works
1. Hex:U+0304 → ̄ right after a. The browser combines them into ā.
2. Decimal: same code point as 772 → ̄ after e. Same combining mark.
3. CSS: use \0304 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends the mark after x, producing x̄.
4. Precomposed:ā is a single character (U+0101). Prefer it when the letter you need already exists.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with the combining macron.
Order
Base letter first
Write ā, not ̄a. The mark attaches to the preceding character.
Named?
No ¯on;
HTML5 does not define a named entity for U+0304. Use numeric forms.
Look-alikes
Not spacing macron
U+00AF (¯) is a standalone bar. U+0304 combines with a letter.
Compose
Prefer precomposed
Use ā / ū when available — simpler markup and better searchability.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\0304 belongs in CSS. ̄ / ̄ belong in HTML.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ̄, not ̄.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Combining macron (U+0304) and its numeric entity forms (̄, ̄, CSS \\0304) are supported in all mainstream browsers with a Unicode-capable font.
✓ Universal support
Combining Macron (U+0304)
Encode with hex, decimal, or CSS escape — place after the base letter for the same combining mark.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerIE 9+
Yes*
U+0304 / entitiesFull support
Bottom line: Prefer precomposed letters when available. Use ̄ or ̄ after a base letter when you need the combining mark, and \\0304 only inside CSS content.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: combining macron is U+0304 (decimal 772).
HTML: use ̄ or ̄ immediately after the base letter.
CSS: use \0304 inside content for generated text.
Default: prefer precomposed letters (ā, etc.) when they exist.
One line:U+0304 → place ̄ / ̄ / CSS \0304 after the base letter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ̄ (hex), ̄ (decimal), or the CSS escape \0304 in the content property. Place the entity immediately after the base letter (e.g. ā for ā). There is no named HTML entity for U+0304.
U+0304 (COMBINING MACRON). Hex 0304, decimal 772. It belongs to the Combining Diacritical Marks block (U+0300–U+036F).
No. U+0304 has no named HTML entity. Use numeric references like ̄ or ̄. Prefer precomposed letters such as ā (ā) when a single code point exists.
Use it for linguistic notation, phonetic transcription, transliteration (Māori, Hawaiian, Latin), dictionary guides, and statistical overlines (x̄). Prefer precomposed characters when available.
HTML entities (̄ or ̄) go in markup after the base character. The CSS escape \0304 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render the same combining mark.
U+0304 is a non-spacing mark that attaches to the previous letter. U+00AF (spacing macron, ¯) is a standalone character that occupies its own width.
🤔
Did you know?
Combining macron is Unicode U+0304 (decimal 772) — COMBINING MACRON in Combining Diacritical Marks. HTML5 has no named entity for it — use ̄ or ̄ right after a base letter. Prefer precomposed forms like ā (ā) when available.
