HTML Entity for Prime (′)
What You'll Learn
How to display the prime symbol (′) in HTML using various entity methods. This punctuation mark denotes feet, arcminutes, minutes of time, or a first derivative—for example 5′10″ (five feet ten inches) or 45′ (forty-five arcminutes).
This character is part of the General Punctuation Unicode block and can be rendered with a hexadecimal reference, a decimal reference, the named entity ′, or a CSS escape in the content property. Do not confuse ′ with prime numbers in mathematics or with the apostrophe U+0027 (‘).
⚡ Quick Reference — Prime
U+2032General Punctuation block
′Hexadecimal reference
′Decimal reference
′Most readable option
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+2032
Hex code ′
HTML code ′
Named entity ′
CSS code \2032
Meaning Prime (feet, arcminutes, derivative)
Related U+2033 = Double prime (″)
U+0027 = Apostrophe (')
Block General Punctuation (U+2000–U+206F)Complete HTML Example
A simple example showing ′ using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, the named entity, and a CSS content escape:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
#point::after{
content: "\2032";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Height (hex): 5′ 10″</p>
<p>Height (decimal): 5′ 10″</p>
<p>Derivative (named): f′(x)</p>
<p>Arcminute (CSS): 45<span id="point"></span></p>
</body>
</html>🌐 Browser Support
The prime entity is universally supported in all modern browsers:
👀 Live Preview
See ′ rendered live in different contexts:
🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
′ uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 2032 to display the prime symbol. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.
Decimal HTML Code
′ uses the decimal Unicode value 8242 to display the same character.
CSS Entity
\2032 is used in CSS stylesheets, particularly in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::before and ::after.
Named Entity
′ is the semantic named entity — the easiest to read in source HTML for the prime mark.
Same visual result
All four methods produce: ′. Unicode U+2032 in the General Punctuation block (U+2000–U+206F).
Use Cases
The prime symbol (′) commonly appears in:
Feet notation: 5′ 10″ for height and dimensional measurements.
Latitude and longitude with arcminutes and arcseconds.
First derivatives: f′(x), and angular measurement in degrees.
Minutes in time expressions (e.g. 5′ 30″ for five minutes thirty seconds).
Physics, astronomy, and engineering documents with precise units.
Math and science textbooks teaching unit and derivative notation.
Pair ′ with spoken equivalents like “feet” or “prime” where helpful.
💡 Best Practices
Do
- Use
′for readable prime markup - Pair ′ with ″ (″) for feet/inches or arcminute/arcsecond
- Distinguish ′ from the apostrophe (U+0027)
- Pick one style (hex / decimal / named) per project
- Use MathML or LaTeX for complex formulas when appropriate
Don’t
- Use ′ to mean prime numbers (2, 3, 5, 7…)
- Substitute a straight apostrophe
'when ′ (′) is intended - Confuse ′ with ″ (double prime for inches/arcseconds)
- Use CSS escape
\2032inside HTML text nodes - Use HTML entities in JS (use
\u2032instead)
Key Takeaways
Three HTML references all render ′
′ ′ ′For CSS stylesheets, use the escape in the content property
\2032Unicode U+2032 belongs to the General Punctuation block (U+2000–U+206F)
Prime marks feet/arcminutes—not prime numbers in mathematics
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions
′ (hex), ′ (decimal), ′ (named), or \2032 in CSS content. All produce ′.U+2032 (PRIME). General Punctuation block. Hex 2032, decimal 8242.′) is a single prime for feet or arcminutes. ″ (U+2033, ″) is a double prime for inches or arcseconds.′, ′, and ′ are equivalent in modern browsers and all render ′.Explore More HTML Entities!
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