HTML Entity for Paragraph Sign (¶)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+00B6

HTML Entity for Paragraph Sign (U+00B6) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Paragraph Sign Entity?

Paragraph Sign (pilcrow) is the character at Unicode U+00B6 that marks a paragraph in legal, editorial, and typographic text (¶). Prefer the named entity ¶, or use ¶ / ¶.

Remember

Character     ¶
Unicode       U+00B6
Named entity  &para;
Hex entity    &#x00B6;
Decimal       &#182;
CSS escape    \00B6

Hex, decimal, named, and CSS all produce the same pilcrow. Do not confuse it with the section sign § (§).

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	`¶`	HTML (preferred)
Hex entity	`¶`	HTML
Decimal entity	`¶`	HTML
CSS escape	`\00B6`	Stylesheet `content`
Section lookalike	`§`	U+00A7 — different character

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Pilcrow in HTML text	`¶`
Need a numeric entity	`¶` or `¶`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\00B6"`
Section / clause marker (§)	`§` (U+00A7 — not this page)
Real HTML paragraph structure	Use `<p>` elements — not this symbol alone

See it

Live Preview

Pilcrow in document contexts, compared with the section sign.

Example Cite: ¶ 14

Large glyph ¶

Named entity ¶ → ¶

vs section ¶ | §

With entities Hex: ¶ | Decimal: ¶ | Named: ¶

Code

Complete HTML Example

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

Hex + Decimal + Named + CSS

Four ways to render U+00B6 (pilcrow ¶).

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Paragraph Sign (U+00B6)</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\00B6";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x00B6;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#182;</p>
  <p>Using Named Entity: &para;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Hex: ¶ inserts U+00B6 from its hex value → ¶.

2. Decimal: same character as 182 → ¶. Same visual result.

3. Named: ¶ is the readable HTML5 name for the pilcrow.

4. CSS: use \00B6 only inside content (e.g. on ::after).

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Paragraph Sign.

vs §

Not `§`

§ is U+00A7 (section). The pilcrow is U+00B6 with ¶.

Structure

Not a substitute for `<p>`

¶ is a visible symbol. Real document structure still needs <p> (or other block elements).

Name

Also called pilcrow

Unicode official name is PILCROW SIGN. “Paragraph sign” is the common editorial name for the same character.

A11y

Add visible context

Do not rely on ¶ alone for meaning. Pair it with text (e.g. “Paragraph 12” or “¶ 12”).

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\00B6 belongs in CSS. ¶ / ¶ belong in HTML.

Semicolon

End references

Always finish with ; — write ¶, not &para.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Paragraph Sign (U+00B6) and its entity forms (¶, ¶, ¶, CSS \\00B6) are supported in all mainstream browsers.

✓ Universal support

Paragraph Sign (¶)

Encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape. Pilcrow — not the section sign.

100% Browser coverage

Google Chrome Supported

Yes

Microsoft Edge Supported

Yes

Mozilla Firefox Supported

Yes

Apple Safari Supported

Yes

Opera Supported

Yes

Internet Explorer IE 9+

Yes*

U+00B6 Full support

Bottom line: Prefer ¶ in HTML. Use \\00B6 only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: Paragraph Sign is U+00B6 (decimal 182).
HTML: prefer ¶ (also ¶ / ¶).
CSS: use \00B6 inside content.
Lookalike: not § (§) or a replacement for <p>.

One line: U+00B6 → ¶ (also ¶ / ¶ / CSS \00B6).

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display the Paragraph Sign in HTML using entities?

Use ¶ (hex), ¶ (decimal), ¶ (named), or the CSS escape \00B6 in the content property. All four render the pilcrow ¶.

What is the Unicode value for the Paragraph Sign?

U+00B6 (PILCROW SIGN). Hex 00B6, decimal 182. It belongs to the Latin-1 Supplement block.

Is there a named HTML entity for U+00B6?

Yes. Prefer ¶ for readable HTML. It is the standard named entity for the paragraph/pilcrow sign.

When should I use this HTML entity?

Use it for legal citations, editing marks, and typography when you need the pilcrow ¶ — for example ¶ 12 or hidden-character indicators in style guides.

What is the difference between ¶ and §?

U+00B6 (¶) is the paragraph/pilcrow sign ¶. U+00A7 (§) is the section sign §. Different characters — do not swap them.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for ¶?

HTML entities (¶, ¶, or ¶) go in markup. The CSS escape \00B6 is used in stylesheets (usually in content on ::before/::after). Both render ¶.

Did you know?

Paragraph Sign (pilcrow) is Unicode U+00B6 (decimal 182) — in Latin-1 Supplement. Prefer the named entity ¶, or use ¶ / ¶. Do not confuse with the section sign § (§, U+00A7).

Next: Parallel To

Continue with the Parallel To (∥) entity tutorial.

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About the author

Mari Selvan M P 🔗

Developer, cloud engineer, and technical writer

Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
Focus Full Stack Development, AWS, and Developer Education

I write practical tutorials so students and working developers can learn by doing—from databases and APIs to deployment on AWS.

AWS Certified Developer – Associate (Credly)

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