HTML Entity for Single Left-Pointing Angle Quotation Mark (‹)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+2039

HTML Entity for Single Left-Pointing Angle Quotation Mark (U+2039) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Single Left-Pointing Angle Quotation Mark Entity?

Single Left-Pointing Angle Quotation Mark (‹) is the General Punctuation character at Unicode U+2039 (SINGLE LEFT-POINTING ANGLE QUOTATION MARK). HTML5 names it &lsaquo;. Use it for single guillemet-style opening quotes and nested citations.

Remember

Character     ‹
Unicode       U+2039
Named entity  &lsaquo;
Hex entity    &#x2039;
Decimal       &#8249;
CSS escape    \2039
Not the same  &laquo; («) · &rsaquo; (› close)

Named, hex, decimal, CSS, and a typed character all produce the same glyph: ‹. Prefer &lsaquo; in HTML markup. Pair with &rsaquo; (U+203A) to close.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	`&lsaquo;`	HTML markup (best default)
Hex entity	`‹`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`‹`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\2039`	Stylesheet `content`
Direct character	`‹`	UTF-8 HTML text

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Single left angle quote	`&lsaquo;` (preferred)
Quote pair (open + close)	`&lsaquo;…&rsaquo;`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\2039"`
Double left guillemet	Use « (U+00AB)
English curly opening quote	Use ‘ (U+2018)

See it

Live Preview

Single angle quotes in nested and paired contexts, compared with double guillemets.

Quote pair ‹quoted text›

Large glyph ‹

Named entity &lsaquo; → ‹

Nested with guillemets « Outer ‹inner› quote »

With entities Named: ‹ | Hex: ‹ | Decimal: ‹

Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows this mark with named, hex, decimal, CSS escape, and a typed character. Use View Output or open the live editor.

Named + Hex + Decimal + CSS + Typed

Five ways to display ‹ in HTML and CSS.

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Single Left-Pointing Angle Quotation Mark (‹)</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\2039";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Built with Named: &lsaquo;</p>
  <p>Built with Hex: &#x2039;</p>
  <p>Built with Decimal: &#8249;</p>
  <p id="point">Built with CSS: </p>
  <p>Typed: ‹</p>
  <p>&lsaquo;quoted text&rsaquo;</p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Named: &lsaquo; is the preferred HTML5 name for U+2039 → ‹.

2. Hex: ‹ inserts the same code point. Same visual as named.

3. Decimal: same code point as 8249 → ‹.

4. CSS: use \2039 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends ‹.

5. Typed: paste ‹ in a UTF-8 document, or write a pair like &lsaquo;…&rsaquo;.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Single Left-Pointing Angle Quotation Mark.

Named

Prefer `&lsaquo;`

&lsaquo; is the clear HTML5 named form. It is case-sensitive — write &lsaquo;, not &LSAQUO;.

Look-alikes

‹ ≠ «

U+2039 is a single angle mark. U+00AB («) is the double left guillemet — do not swap them in nested quotes.

Pairs

Close with `&rsaquo;`

Open with &lsaquo; and close with &rsaquo; (U+203A). Double pairs use «…».

A11y

Quotes are punctuation

Screen readers usually announce angle quotes as quotes. Keep surrounding text clear so meaning does not rely on the glyph alone.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\2039 belongs in CSS. &lsaquo; / ‹ / ‹ belong in HTML.

Semicolon

End references

Always finish with ; — write &lsaquo;, not &lsaquo.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Single Left-Pointing Angle Quotation Mark (U+2039) and its entity forms (&lsaquo;, ‹, ‹, CSS \\2039) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph coverage depends on the font.

✓ Universal encoding

Single Left-Pointing Angle Quotation Mark (‹)

Encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type ‹ directly in UTF-8 HTML. Prefer &lsaquo;.

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+2039 Full support

Bottom line: Prefer &lsaquo; for readable HTML. Use \\2039 only inside CSS content. Pair with &rsaquo;.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: this symbol is U+2039 (decimal 8249) — single left-pointing angle quotation mark.
HTML: prefer &lsaquo; — or use ‹ / ‹.
CSS: use \2039 inside content for generated quote markers.
Watch out: not the same as « (double guillemet). Close with &rsaquo;.

One line: U+2039 → &lsaquo; / ‹ / ‹ / CSS \2039.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display Single Left-Pointing Angle Quotation Mark (‹) in HTML using entities?

Use &lsaquo; (named), ‹ (hex), ‹ (decimal), or the CSS escape \2039 in the content property. All render ‹. Prefer &lsaquo; for readable markup.

What is the Unicode value for Single Left-Pointing Angle Quotation Mark?

U+2039 (SINGLE LEFT-POINTING ANGLE QUOTATION MARK). Hex 2039, decimal 8249, named entity &lsaquo;. It belongs to General Punctuation (U+2000–U+206F).

Is there a named HTML entity for U+2039?

Yes. HTML5 defines &lsaquo; for U+2039. It is case-sensitive — write &lsaquo;, not &LSAQUO;.

How is U+2039 different from U+00AB?

U+2039 is the single left-pointing angle quotation mark (&lsaquo;). U+00AB is the double left-pointing angle quotation mark / left guillemet («). Related shapes, different characters.

When should I use this HTML entity?

Use it for nested quotations, citations, and multilingual typography that needs a single guillemet-style opening mark. Pair with &rsaquo; (U+203A) to close.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for U+2039?

HTML entities (&lsaquo;, ‹, or ‹) go in markup. The CSS escape \2039 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ‹.

Did you know?

Single Left-Pointing Angle Quotation Mark is Unicode U+2039 (decimal 8249) — glyph ‹ (SINGLE LEFT-POINTING ANGLE QUOTATION MARK) in General Punctuation. HTML5 names it &lsaquo; (case-sensitive). Pair with &rsaquo; (›, U+203A). Do not confuse it with the double left guillemet («, U+00AB).

Next: Single Low-9 Quotation Mark

Learn the HTML entity for Single Low-9 Quotation Mark — 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.

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