HTML Entities: Named, Decimal, and Hexadecimal Formats

Last updated: August 28, 2026.

An HTML character reference begins with an ampersand. Named references are memorable for common characters; numeric references identify a Unicode code point in decimal or hexadecimal.

Equivalent forms

Use references for syntax-sensitive characters, invisible characters, or symbols that are difficult to type.

Use UTF-8 for ordinary text

Accented letters and non-Latin text can be written directly in a UTF-8 document. This is usually easier to read than encoding every character.

<p>Research &amp; development</p>
<p>Use &lt;code&gt; for inline code.</p>
<p>Copyright &copy; 2026</p>

Keep the semicolon

End references with a semicolon. Historical exceptions exist, but omission can make the boundary ambiguous when letters or digits follow. Numeric references do not change the document encoding.

Reference: WHATWG named character references.