HTML Entity for Not Equal To (≠)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+2260

HTML Entity for not equal to (U+2260) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Not Equal To Entity?

Not equal to (≠) is the Mathematical Operators character at Unicode U+2260 (NOT EQUAL TO). It states that two values are not equal — for example x ≠ y.

Remember

Character     ≠
Unicode       U+2260
Named entity  &ne;  (also &NotEqual;)
Hex entity    &#x2260;
Decimal       &#8800;
CSS escape    \2260
Affirmative   = / &equals; (U+003D)

Named, hex, decimal, CSS, and a typed character all produce the same glyph: ≠. Prefer ≠ in HTML source for clarity.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	`≠`	HTML markup (also `&NotEqual;`)
Hex entity	`≠`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`≠`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\2260`	Stylesheet `content`
Direct character	`≠`	UTF-8 HTML text

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Readable HTML source	`≠`
Numeric entity required	`≠` or `≠`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\2260"`
Equals =	`=` or type `=` — see Equal To
Not identical ≢	`&nequiv;`

See it

Live Preview

Not equal to in comparison contexts.

Relation x ≠ y

Large glyph ≠

Named entity ≠ → ≠

vs = / ≢ ≠ | = | ≢

With entities Named: ≠ | Hex: ≠ | Decimal: ≠

Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows this symbol with named, hex, decimal, and CSS forms. Use View Output or open the live editor.

Named + Hex + Decimal + CSS

Four ways to produce ≠ in a single document.

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Not Equal To (&ne;)</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\2260";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Named Entity: &ne;</p>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x2260;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#8800;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p>Example: 3 + 2 &ne; 4</p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Named: ≠ (or &NotEqual;) is the clearest HTML form and renders ≠.

2. Hex: U+2260 → ≠ in HTML. Same result as the named entity.

3. Decimal: same code point as 8800 → ≠. Same result as hex.

4. CSS: use \2260 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ≠ after the paragraph text.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with the not-equal-to entity.

ASCII

`!=` is not `≠`

In code, != is two ASCII characters. For the math glyph ≠ in HTML prose, use ≠.

Look-alikes

Not `&nequiv;` or `&napprox;`

&nequiv; is ≢ (not identical). &napprox; is ≉ (not almost equal). Pick the operator that matches your meaning.

Aliases

`≠` = `&NotEqual;`

Both map to U+2260. Prefer the short ≠ in everyday HTML.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\2260 belongs in CSS. ≠ / ≠ / ≠ belong in HTML.

Encoding

Declare UTF-8

If you paste ≠ directly, keep <meta charset="UTF-8"> so the file is not misread.

Semicolon

End references

Always finish with ; — write ≠, not &ne.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Not equal to (U+2260) and its entity forms (≠, ≠, ≠, CSS \\2260) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph availability depends on the font.

✓ Universal encoding

Not Equal To (≠)

Encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or paste ≠ directly in UTF-8 HTML.

100% Browser coverage

Google Chrome Supported

Yes

Microsoft Edge Supported

Yes

Mozilla Firefox Supported

Yes

Apple Safari Supported

Yes

Opera Supported

Yes

Internet Explorer All versions

Yes

U+2260 Full support

Bottom line: Prefer ≠ for readable HTML. Use \\2260 only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: this character is U+2260 (decimal 8800).
HTML: prefer ≠ (alias &NotEqual;) — or use ≠ / ≠.
CSS: use \2260 inside content for generated text.
Watch out: ≠ ≠ != ≠ &nequiv;.

One line: U+2260 → ≠ / ≠ / ≠ / CSS \2260.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display not equal to (≠) in HTML using entities?

Use ≠ (named), ≠ (hex), ≠ (decimal), type ≠ in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \2260 in content. All render ≠. Prefer ≠ in HTML source.

What is the Unicode value for ne?

U+2260 (NOT EQUAL TO). Hex 2260, decimal 8800. It belongs to the Mathematical Operators block (U+2200–U+22FF).

Is there a named HTML entity for U+2260?

Yes. HTML5 defines ≠ and &NotEqual; (aliases for the same character). Related: = for the equals sign (=).

When should I use this HTML entity?

Use it for strict inequality (e.g. x ≠ y). Prefer ≠ for readable source. For approximate inequality use &napprox; (≉). For not identical use &nequiv; (≢).

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for U+2260?

HTML entities (≠, ≠, or ≠) go in markup. The CSS escape \2260 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ≠.

How is ≠ different from ≠ typed as != or ≢?

In programming, != is two ASCII characters. ≢ (U+2262, &nequiv;) means not identical / not equivalent under ≡. ≠ (≠) is the dedicated not-equal math symbol — do not confuse them.

Did you know?

Not equal to (≠) is Unicode U+2260 (decimal 8800) — NOT EQUAL TO in Mathematical Operators. HTML5 provides ≠ and &NotEqual; (same glyph). It is the classic inequality operator. Related: = (=) and &nequiv; (≢, not identical).

Next: Not Equivalent To

Learn the HTML entity for ≭ / U+226D — next in this sequence.

Continue tutorial →

About the author

Mari Selvan M P 🔗

Developer, cloud engineer, and technical writer

Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
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I write practical tutorials so students and working developers can learn by doing—from databases and APIs to deployment on AWS.

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