HTML Entity for Pound Sign (£)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+00A3

HTML Entity for pound sign (U+00A3) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Pound Sign Entity?

Pound sign (£) is the Latin-1 Supplement character at Unicode U+00A3 (POUND SIGN). It is the currency symbol for pound sterling (GBP) — for example £19.99.

Remember

Character     £
Unicode       U+00A3
Named entity  &pound;
Hex entity    &#xA3;
Decimal       &#163;
CSS escape    \A3
Related       &dollar; ($), &euro; (€), &yen; (¥)

Named, hex, decimal, CSS, and a typed £ all produce the same glyph: £. Prefer £ or paste £ in UTF-8 HTML.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	`£`	HTML markup
Hex entity	`£`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`£`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\A3`	Stylesheet `content`
Direct character	`£`	UTF-8 HTML text

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Everyday HTML prices	`£` or type `£`
Numeric entity required	`£` or `£`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\A3"`
US dollar / euro / yen	See Dollar, Euro, Yen
Number sign “#”	Type `#` — not the pound currency symbol

See it

Live Preview

Pound sign in common currency contexts.

Price £19.99

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>Pound Sign (&pound;)</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\A3";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Named Entity: &pound;</p>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#xA3;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#163;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p>Example: Price: &pound;19.99</p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Named: £ is the clearest entity form and renders £.

2. Hex: U+00A3 → £ in HTML. Same result as the named entity.

3. Decimal: same code point as 163 → £. Same result as hex.

4. CSS: use \A3 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that £ after the paragraph text.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with the pound-sign entity.

Named

Prefer `£`

The named entity is easier to read than £ and is supported everywhere modern browsers need it.

# vs £

Not the “pound” key

On many US keyboards, “pound” means # (number sign). Currency pound is £ / £.

Weight

Not a weight unit

For mass, use lb or related weight symbols — not the currency pound sign.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\A3 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.

Full-width

Not full-width £

Full-width pound (U+FFE1) is a different character — see Full-Width Pound Sign.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Pound sign (U+00A3) and its entity forms (£, £, £, CSS \\A3) are supported in all mainstream browsers.

✓ Universal support

Pound Sign (£)

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+00A3 Full support

Bottom line: Prefer £ for readable HTML. Use \\A3 only inside CSS content. Do not confuse £ with # or weight units.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: this character is U+00A3 (decimal 163).
HTML: prefer £ (also £ / £).
CSS: use \A3 inside content for generated text.
Watch out: £ ≠ # ≠ weight “pound”.

One line: U+00A3 → £ / £ / £ / CSS \A3.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display the pound sign (£) in HTML using entities?

Use £ (named), £ (hex), £ (decimal), type £ in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \A3 in content. Prefer £ for readable markup.

What is the Unicode value for the pound sign?

U+00A3 (POUND SIGN). Hex A3, decimal 163. It belongs to the Latin-1 Supplement block (U+0080–U+00FF).

Is there a named HTML entity for U+00A3?

Yes. HTML5 defines £ for this character. Related currency symbols: &dollar;, €, ¥, ¢.

When should I use this HTML entity?

Use it for UK / sterling prices, invoices, and currency labels. Prefer £ in HTML source. For locale-aware formatting of amounts, also consider Intl.NumberFormat in JavaScript.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for U+00A3?

HTML entities (£, £, or £) go in markup. The CSS escape \A3 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render £.

Is £ the same as # or the weight pound?

No. # (U+0023) is the number sign — often called “pound” on US keyboards. Weight uses lb or the ounce/pound weight symbols. £ (U+00A3, £) is the currency pound sign.

Did you know?

Pound sign (£) is Unicode U+00A3 (decimal 163) — POUND SIGN in Latin-1 Supplement. HTML5 provides £. It usually means pound sterling (GBP). Do not confuse it with the US “pound” key for # (number sign) or the weight unit “lb”.

Next: Precedes

Learn the HTML entity for ≺ / U+227A — 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
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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