Plus-minus (±) is the Latin-1 Supplement character at Unicode U+00B1 (PLUS-MINUS SIGN). It marks a choice of sign or a tolerance — for example 5 ± 0.2.
Remember
Character ±
Unicode U+00B1
Named entity ± (also ±, ±)
Hex entity ±
Decimal ±
CSS escape \B1
Related ∓ (∓, minus-plus)
Named, hex, decimal, CSS, and a typed character all produce the same glyph: ±. Prefer ± in HTML source for clarity.
Using Named Entity: ±
Using Hex Code: ±
Using HTML Code: ±
Using CSS Entity: ±
Example: Length = 10 ± 2 cm
How It Works
1. Named:± (or ±) is the clearest HTML form and renders ±.
2. Hex:U+00B1 → ± in HTML. Same result as the named entity.
3. Decimal: same code point as 177 → ±. Same result as hex.
4. CSS: use \B1 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ± after the paragraph text.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with the plus-minus entity.
ASCII
+/- is not ±
Two ASCII characters look similar but are not the dedicated ± glyph. Prefer ± for correct typography.
Look-alikes
Not ∓
∓ is ∓ (minus-plus) — minus above plus. Use it when that order is required.
Aliases
± = ±
Both (and ±) map to U+00B1. Pick one and stay consistent.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\B1 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 ±.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Plus-minus (U+00B1) and its entity forms (±, ±, ±, CSS \\B1) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph availability depends on the font.
✓ Universal encoding
Plus Minus (±)
Encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or paste ± directly in UTF-8 HTML.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerAll versions
Yes
U+00B1Full support
Bottom line: Prefer ± (or ±) for readable HTML. Use \\B1 only inside CSS content.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: this character is U+00B1 (decimal 177).
HTML: prefer ± (alias ±) — or use ± / ±.
Use ± or ± (named), ± (hex), ± (decimal), type ± in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \B1 in content. All render ±. Prefer ± in HTML source.
U+00B1 (PLUS-MINUS SIGN). Hex B1, decimal 177. It belongs to the Latin-1 Supplement block (U+0080–U+00FF).
Yes. HTML5 defines ±, ±, and ± (aliases for the same character). Related: + for + and ∓ for ∓.
Use it for tolerances, uncertainty, and “plus or minus” in math and science (e.g. 10 ± 2). Prefer ± for readable source. For the reverse order (minus-plus) use ∓ (∓).
HTML entities (±, ±, or ±) go in markup. The CSS escape \B1 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ±.
Writing +/- with two ASCII characters is not the same glyph. ∓ (U+2213, ∓) is minus-plus (minus above plus). ± (±) is the dedicated plus-minus sign — prefer it for correct typography.
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Did you know?
Plus-minus (±) is Unicode U+00B1 (decimal 177) — PLUS-MINUS SIGN in Latin-1 Supplement. HTML5 provides ±, ±, and ± (same glyph). It marks a choice of sign or a tolerance (e.g. 5 ± 0.2). Related: − (−) and ∓ (∓, minus-plus).
