Sometimes you need to show a symbol in a webpage without typing it directly. HTML lets you write a named character reference, also called an entity. ä represents the lowercase a with diaeresis.
A character reference starts with an ampersand and ends with a semicolon. When the browser reads the HTML source, it turns the reference into the corresponding character. This is useful for reserved characters and for symbols that are not easy to find on a keyboard.
What character does it represent?
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
Entity name | ä |
Unicode value | U+00E4 |
Meaning | lowercase a with diaeresis |
Example HTML
<p>Special symbol: ä</p>
<p>This sentence provides context for the reader.</p>What appears in the browser
The browser replaces the entity with its corresponding symbol, so the reader sees a character rather than the literal ampersand-name-semicolon text. Make sure the document language is identified correctly for pronunciation.
To teach readers the exact entity spelling, display the ampersand as & in your article source. Otherwise, a browser may interpret the reference instead of printing its literal name.
Do you always need to use an entity?
Not always. Modern HTML pages should use UTF-8, which can represent ordinary symbols and letters directly. An entity is especially important when a character would otherwise be interpreted as HTML syntax, such as an ampersand or a less-than sign in the right context. For other symbols, either form may work if it is used correctly.
Try it yourself
Create an HTML file with the example, open it, and compare the page with the source code. Then replace the entity with the actual character if your editor makes that possible. Check that both forms show the same symbol.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Make sure the document language is identified correctly for pronunciation.
- Forgetting that ampersands in HTML examples may need escaping before the example is shown as text.
- Using a character reference as a replacement for semantic markup such as lists, links, or accessible controls.
Key Takeaways
ämeans lowercase a with diaeresis.- Its Unicode representation is
U+00E4. - UTF-8 characters and named entities can often express the same symbol, but escaping rules still matter.