U+223D · Math symbol
HTML entity
∽
LaTeX
\backsim
Reversed Tilde Symbol ∽
∽ is reversed tilde, U+223D. Unicode also records it as “lazy S”. It was added in Unicode 1.1, and Unicode files it under Math symbol.
Also known as
- lazy S
What Unicode says about ∽
reversed tilde and lazy S are glyph variants
— annotation from the Unicode Standard, NamesList.txt
Codes & technical data
| Unicode | U+223D | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML hex | ∽ | |
| HTML decimal | ∽ | |
| CSS | \223D | |
| JavaScript | \u{223D} | |
| Python | \U0000223D | |
| Java / C# | \u223D | |
| Rust | \u{223d} | |
| Swift | \u{223D} | |
| PHP | \u{223D} | |
| URL encoded | %E2%88%BD | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 88 BD | |
| UTF-16 bytes | 223D | |
| Base64 | 4oi9 | |
| Decimal | 8765 | |
| HTML entity | ∽ | |
| LaTeX | \backsim | |
| Category | Math symbol (Sm) | |
| Introduced | Unicode 1.1 | |
Will ∽ survive being pasted?
- Normalisation. Yes. ∽ is unchanged by NFKC, so it survives normalising systems intact.
- Legacy encodings. ∽ is Unicode-only — it has no Latin-1 equivalent, so a system stuck on an 8-bit encoding cannot represent it.
- Size. 3 bytes in UTF-8. Character-limited fields — SMS, bios, some form validators — usually count bytes, not characters.
Other tilde characters
Unicode names 8 characters ending in “tilde”. They differ by direction, weight or decoration rather than by meaning.
Nearby in Mathematical Operators
The operators mathematics and programming share — set theory, logic, calculus, comparison. Almost every character here has a LaTeX command, which is usually the fastest way to name the one you mean.
How to type ∽
| Windows | Type 223D then press Alt+X |
|---|---|
| macOS | Press Ctrl+Cmd+Space, then search for “reversed tilde” |
| Linux | Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 223d, press Enter |
| HTML | ∽ |
About Unicode’s Math symbol category
Unicode classifies this as a mathematical symbol, which means software that lays out formulas treats it as an operator or relation and gives it spacing accordingly, rather than setting it tight against its neighbours like a letter.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I type the ∽ reversed tilde symbol?
- On Windows, type 223D and press Alt+X. On Linux press Ctrl+Shift+U then 223d. On any system the quickest route is the copy button on this page.
- What is the code for ∽?
- Reversed Tilde is U+223D, written in HTML as ∽ and in LaTeX as \backsim. In UTF-8 it takes 3 bytes. The table above lists every escape format.
- What kind of character is ∽?
- Reversed Tilde is filed under Math symbol in the Mathematical Operators block, and was introduced in Unicode 1.1. Unicode classifies this as a mathematical symbol, which means software that lays out formulas treats it as an operator or relation and gives it spacing accordingly, rather than setting it tight against its neighbours like a letter.