HTML Entity for Telephone Sign (℡)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+2121

HTML Entity for telephone sign (U+2121) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is Telephone Sign?

Telephone sign (℡) is the Unicode character at U+2121 in Letterlike Symbols. Official name: TELEPHONE SIGN. It is a letterlike “TEL” mark used for contact labels and directories.

Remember

Character     ℡
Unicode       U+2121
Hex entity    &#x2121;
Decimal       &#8481;
CSS escape    \2121
Named entity  (none)
Not the same  &phone; · ☏ · ✆

Prefer ℡ or ℡ in HTML markup. You can also type ℡ in UTF-8. There is no named entity.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Direct character	`℡`	HTML text (UTF-8)
Hex entity	`℡`	HTML markup (preferred)
Decimal entity	`℡`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\2121`	Stylesheet `content`
Named entity	—	Not defined in HTML5
Black telephone (related)	`&phone;` (☎, U+260E)	Classic handset icon

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Letterlike telephone / TEL sign	`℡` or `℡`
Classic black telephone	☎ / `&phone;`
White telephone	☏ / `☏`
Telephone location / booth sign	✆ / `✆`
Looking for a named form	Does not exist — use numeric form (or `&phone;` for U+260E)
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\2121"`

See it

Live Preview

Telephone sign rendered next to related phone marks.

Example ℡ +1 555-0100

Large glyph ℡

Compared ℡ ☎ ☏ ✆

With entities Hex: ℡ | Decimal: ℡

Code

Complete HTML Example

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

Hex + Decimal + CSS + Typed

Four ways to produce ℡, plus a short contact-label example.

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Telephone Sign (℡) in HTML</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\2121";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x2121;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#8481;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p>Typed directly: ℡</p>
  <p>Example: ℡ +1 555-0100</p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Hex: U+2121 → ℡ in HTML. The browser turns it into ℡.

2. Decimal: same code point as 8481 → ℡. Same result as hex.

3. CSS: use \2121 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ℡ after the paragraph text.

4. Typed / example: paste ℡ in UTF-8, or write ℡ +1 555-0100 for a short contact label.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Telephone Sign.

Named?

No named entity

HTML5 does not define a named entity for U+2121. Use ℡ or ℡.

☎

Not `&phone;`

&phone; is black telephone (U+260E). Prefer it for a handset icon; use U+2121 for the letterlike TEL sign.

✆

Not the location sign

U+2706 (✆) is the telephone location sign in Dingbats — a different glyph and block.

Fonts

Letterlike font coverage

Some UI fonts omit Letterlike Symbols. Prefer a font that covers this block for directory-style TEL marks.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\2121 belongs in CSS strings. ℡ / ℡ belong in HTML.

A11y

Label contact cues

Pair the glyph with a phone number or accessible name — do not rely on the TEL sign alone.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Telephone sign (U+2121) and its entity forms (℡, ℡, CSS \\2121) are supported in all mainstream browsers. Visible glyphs depend on Letterlike Symbols font coverage.

✓ Universal support

Telephone Sign (℡)

Encode with hex, decimal, CSS escape, or type the character — same code point everywhere encoding is supported.

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+2121 / entities Full support

Bottom line: Prefer ℡ or ℡ in HTML. Use \\2121 only inside CSS content. There is no named entity.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: this mark is U+2121 (decimal 8481) — glyph ℡.
HTML: use ℡ or ℡ — no named entity; typing ℡ also works.
CSS: use \2121 inside content for generated text.
Meaning: ℡ = telephone sign — not &phone;, not ✆.

One line: U+2121 → ℡ / ℡ / CSS \2121.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display ℡ in HTML?

Use ℡ (hex), ℡ (decimal), type ℡ directly in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \2121 in content. There is no named HTML entity for U+2121.

What is the Unicode value for this mark?

U+2121 (TELEPHONE SIGN). Hex 2121, decimal 8481. It belongs to Letterlike Symbols (U+2100–U+214F).

Is there a named HTML entity for U+2121?

No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for this character. Use numeric forms ℡ or ℡. For a classic black telephone, use &phone; (U+260E).

When should I use U+2121?

Use it for letterlike TEL-style contact labels in directories and business UI. Prefer &phone; for a handset icon, or plain “Tel:” text when clarity matters most.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for U+2121?

HTML entities (℡ or ℡) go in markup. The CSS escape \2121 goes in stylesheet strings (usually content on ::before/::after).

Is ℡ the same as ☎, ☏, or ✆?

No. ℡ is the telephone sign (U+2121). ☎ is black telephone (&phone;, U+260E). ☏ is white telephone (U+260F). ✆ is the telephone location sign (U+2706).

Did you know?

Telephone sign (℡) is Unicode U+2121 (decimal 8481) — TELEPHONE SIGN in Letterlike Symbols. HTML5 has no named entity — use ℡ or ℡. Do not confuse it with black telephone (U+260E, ☎ / &phone;), white telephone (U+260F, ☏), or telephone location sign (U+2706, ✆).

Next: Tenge Sign

Learn the HTML entity for tenge sign (₸).

Continue tutorial →

About the author

Mari Selvan M P 🔗

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Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
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