HTML Entity for Very Much Less Than (⋘)

Beginner
⏱️ 5 min read
📚 Updated: Jun 2026
🎯 1 Code Example
Unicode U+22D8
HTML Entity for Very Much Less Than symbol tutorial illustration

What You'll Learn

How to display the Very Much Less Than symbol (⋘) in HTML using hexadecimal, decimal, named entity, and CSS escape methods. This character is U+22D8 (VERY MUCH LESS-THAN) in the Mathematical Operators block—a comparison operator used in inequalities, algebra, and formal mathematical notation.

Render it with &#x22D8;, &#8920;, the named entity &Ll;, or CSS escape \22D8. Do not confuse ⋘ with much less-than ≪ (&Lt;) or plain less-than < (U+003C).

⚡ Quick Reference — Very Much Less Than Entity

Unicode U+22D8

Mathematical Operators

Hex Code &#x22D8;

Hexadecimal reference

HTML Code &#8920;

Decimal reference

Named Entity &Ll;

Most readable option

Reference Table
Name           Value
────────────   ──────────
Unicode        U+22D8
Hex code       &#x22D8;
HTML code      &#8920;
Named entity   &Ll;
CSS code       \22D8
Meaning        Very much less-than
Related        U+226A = ≪ (much less-than, &Lt;)
               U+003C = < (less-than, &lt;)
               U+22D9 = ⋙ (very much greater-than, &Gg;)
Block          Mathematical Operators (U+2200–U+22FF)
1

Complete HTML Example

A simple example showing the Very Much Less Than symbol (⋘) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, named entity, and a CSS content escape:

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
 <style>
  #point:after{
   content: "\22D8";
  }
 </style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Symbol (hex): &#x22D8;</p>
<p>Symbol (decimal): &#8920;</p>
<p>Symbol (named): &Ll;</p>
<p id="point">Symbol (CSS): </p>
</body>
</html>
Try It Yourself

🌐 Browser Support

The Very Much Less Than symbol (⋘) is supported in modern browsers when the font includes Mathematical Operators glyphs:

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

👀 Live Preview

See the Very Much Less Than symbol rendered live in mathematical contexts:

Inequalitya ⋘ b means a is very much less than b
Large glyph⋘
Comparison scale⋘   ≪   <
Not the same as≪ (U+226A, much less-than, &Lt;)
Numeric refs&#x22D8; &#8920; &Ll; \22D8

🧠 How It Works

1

Hexadecimal Code

&#x22D8; uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 22D8 to display the character. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.

HTML markup
2

Decimal HTML Code

&#8920; uses the decimal Unicode value 8920 to display the same character. A common method for Mathematical Operators.

HTML markup
3

Named Entity

&Ll; is the semantic named entity—the easiest to read in source HTML for the very much less-than operator.

HTML markup
4

CSS Entity

\22D8 is used in CSS stylesheets, particularly in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::before and ::after.

CSS stylesheet
=

Same visual result

All four methods produce the glyph: ⋘. Unicode U+22D8 sits in Mathematical Operators. Not the same as &Lt; (≪) or &lt; (<).

✅

Use Cases

The Very Much Less Than symbol (⋘) is commonly used in:

📐 Mathematical expressions

Equations and formulas requiring “very much less than” (e.g. a ⋘ b).

⚖ Inequalities

Order relations in algebra, analysis, and formal mathematics.

📚 Academic papers

Research papers, proofs, and scholarly mathematical content.

📄 Technical documentation

API docs, tutorials, and content describing comparisons or limits.

🎓 Educational content

Math courses, textbooks, and e-learning modules on order relations.

🔢 Symbolic logic

Formal logic, set theory, and mathematical notation.

🖥 Programming tutorials

Docs explaining mathematical operators or algorithm comparisons.

💡 Best Practices

Do

  • Use &Ll; for readable source markup
  • Add spacing around the operator in equations (e.g. a ⋘ b)
  • Pick one entity style per project for consistency
  • Use fonts that support Mathematical Operators
  • Distinguish ⋘ from ≪ (&Lt;) and <

Don’t

  • Confuse ⋘ (U+22D8) with ≪ (U+226A, much less-than)
  • Substitute < or &lt; when ⋘ is specifically required
  • Mix entity styles randomly in one file
  • Use CSS escape \22D8 inside HTML markup
  • Forget accessibility labels for standalone math symbols

Key Takeaways

1

Type ⋘ directly, or use hex/decimal/named references

&#x22D8; &#8920; &Ll;
2

For CSS stylesheets, use the escape in the content property

\22D8
3

Unicode U+22D8 — VERY MUCH LESS-THAN

4

Not the same as ≪ (&Lt;) or <

5

Previous: Very Much Greater Than (⋙)   Next: Victory Hand

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Use &#x22D8; (hex), &#8920; (decimal), &Ll; (named), or \22D8 in CSS content. All produce ⋘. In UTF-8 you can also type ⋘ directly.
U+22D8 (VERY MUCH LESS-THAN). Mathematical Operators block. Hex 22D8, decimal 8920. Named entity &Ll;. Related: U+226A (≪, &Lt;) is much less-than.
In mathematical expressions, inequalities, algebra, academic papers, technical documentation, and any content requiring this precise comparison operator.
HTML entities (&#8920;, &#x22D8;, or &Ll;) go directly in markup. The CSS escape \22D8 is used in stylesheets, typically in the content property of ::before or ::after. Same visual result, different layers of the stack.
Yes. &Ll; is the named HTML entity for ⋘ (U+22D8). &#8920; and &#x22D8; are equivalent in modern browsers. Do not confuse &Ll; with &Lt; (≪, much less-than).

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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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