HTML Entity for Semicolon (;)

Beginner
⏱️ 5 min read
📚 Updated: Jun 2026
🎯 1 Code Example
Unicode U+003B
HTML entity for Semicolon punctuation (U+003B) tutorial illustration

What You'll Learn

How to display the Semicolon (;) in HTML using hexadecimal, decimal, and CSS escape methods. This character is U+003B (SEMICOLON) in the Basic Latin block (ASCII)—used for punctuation in prose, list separators, and as a statement terminator in JavaScript and CSS.

Render it with &#x3B;, &#59;, or CSS \3B. You can usually type ; directly on the keyboard. There is no standard named HTML entity for U+003B. Do not confuse ; with Reversed Semicolon U+204F (⁏, ⁏).

⚡ Quick Reference — Semicolon

Unicode U+003B

Basic Latin / ASCII

Hex Code &#x3B;

Hexadecimal reference

HTML Code &#59;

Decimal reference

Named Entity —

Use numeric codes or type ;

Reference Table
Name           Value
────────────   ──────────
Unicode        U+003B
Hex code       &#x3B;
HTML code      &#59;
Named entity   (none)
CSS code       \3B
Also called    Semicolon punctuation
Not the same   U+204F = reversed semicolon (⁏, ⁏)
Block          Basic Latin / ASCII (U+0000–U+007F)
1

Complete HTML Example

A simple example showing ; using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, and a CSS content escape:

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
 <style>
  #point::after{
   content: "\3B";
  }
 </style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Semicolon (hex): &#x3B;</p>
<p>Semicolon (decimal): &#59;</p>
<p id="point">Semicolon (CSS): </p>
</body>
</html>
Try it Yourself

🌐 Browser Support

U+003B is universally supported in all browsers and systems:

Chrome1+
Firefox1+
Safari1+
Edge12+
Opera4+
Android4.4+
iOS Safari1+

👀 Live Preview

See the Semicolon in common punctuation and syntax contexts:

List items Apples; oranges; bananas
Complex sentence She arrived early; he was late.
Direct typing Type ; on the keyboard in normal HTML text
Not the same as Reversed semicolon ⁏ (&bsemi;)  |  Colon :
Numeric refs &#x3B; &#59; \3B

🧠 How It Works

1

Hexadecimal Code

&#x3B; references code point U+003B using hex digits 3B.

HTML markup
2

Decimal HTML Code

&#59; is the decimal equivalent (59) for the same character.

HTML markup
3

CSS Entity

\3B is the CSS escape for U+003B, used in the content property of ::before or ::after.

CSS stylesheet
=

Same visual result

All three methods produce the semicolon glyph: ;. Unicode U+003B is basic ASCII punctuation. No named entity. Next: Service Mark.

✅

Use Cases

The Semicolon (;) commonly appears in:

📝 Written prose

Complex sentences and list separators in articles and documentation.

💻 Programming docs

JavaScript statement terminators and syntax examples in tutorials.

🎨 CSS syntax

Property declaration separators in stylesheets and code samples.

🔤 Entity tutorials

HTML entity reference pages explaining character encoding.

📄 Generated HTML

Programmatic output when an explicit character reference is preferred.

📚 Technical writing

Punctuation guides, style manuals, and editing references.

💡 Best Practices

Do

  • Type ; directly for normal prose and punctuation
  • Use &#59; or &#x3B; when documenting entities explicitly
  • Set <meta charset="utf-8"> for reliable rendering
  • Use \3B only inside CSS content
  • Distinguish ; from reversed semicolon ⁏ (&bsemi;)

Don’t

  • Expect a standard named HTML entity for U+003B
  • Over-escape every semicolon when plain typing works fine
  • Confuse ; with ⁏ (reversed semicolon, U+204F)
  • Put CSS escape \3B in HTML text nodes
  • Use padded Unicode notation like U+0003B—the correct value is U+003B

Key Takeaways

1

Three ways to render U+003B in HTML and CSS

&#x3B; &#59;
2

For CSS stylesheets, use \3B in the content property

3

U+003B SEMICOLON (ASCII punctuation)

4

No named entity—type ; or use numeric codes

5

Previous: Section Sign (§)   Next: Service Mark

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Use &#x3B; (hex), &#59; (decimal), or \3B in CSS content. You can also type ; directly on the keyboard. There is no standard named HTML entity for U+003B.
U+003B (SEMICOLON). Basic Latin / ASCII. Hex 3B, decimal 59.
When documenting HTML entities, escaping in generated content, or when an explicit character reference is preferred. For normal text and punctuation, typing the character is usually fine.
HTML references (&#59; or &#x3B;) go in markup. The CSS escape \3B is used in stylesheets, typically in the content property of pseudo-elements.
The semicolon is a standard ASCII keyboard character and also terminates HTML character references. Named entities are reserved for special or hard-to-type characters. Use numeric codes when an explicit reference is needed.

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About the author

Mari Selvan M P
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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Section Sign Service Mark