HTML Encoding (Character Sets)

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To correctly display HTML pages, web browsers must know which character set to use.

From ASCII to UTF-8

ASCII is the first character encoding standard. ASCII defines 128 characters that can be used on the internet: numbers (0-9), English letters (A-Z), and some special characters, such as: ! $ + - ( ) @ < >.

ISO-8859-1 is the default character set for HTML 4. This character set supports 256 different character codes. HTML 4 also supports UTF-8.

ANSI (Windows-1252) is the original Windows character set. ANSI is the same as ISO-8859-1, but ANSI has 32 additional characters.

The HTML5 specification encourages web developers to use the UTF-8 character set, which covers almost all characters and symbols in the world!

HTML charset attribute

To correctly display HTML pages, web browsers must understand the character set used in the page.

This is <meta> specified in the tag:

<meta charset="UTF-8">

Try it yourself

Differences between character sets

The following table shows the differences between the above character sets:

Numb	ASCII	ANSI	8859	UTF-8	Description
32					space
33	!	!	!	!	exclamation mark
34	"	"	"	"	quotation mark
35	#	#	#	#	number sign
36	$	$	$	$	dollar sign
37	%	%	%	%	percent sign
38	38	38	38	38	&
ampersand	39	39	39	39	'
apostrophe	40	40	40	40	(
left parenthesis	41	41	41	41	)
right parenthesis	42	42	42	42	*
asterisk	43	43	43	43	+
plus sign	44	44	44	44	,
comma	45	45	45	45	-
hyphen-minus	46	46	46	46	.
full stop	47	47	47	47	/
solidus	48	48	48	48	0
digit zero	49	49	49	49	1
digit one	50	50	50	50	2
digit two	51	51	51	51	3
digit three	52	52	52	52	4
digit four	53	53	53	53	5
digit five	54	54	54	54	6
digit six	55	55	55	55	7
digit seven	56	56	56	56	8
digit eight	57	57	57	57	9
digit nine	58	58	58	58	:
colon	59	59	59	59	;
semicolon	60	60	60	60	<
less-than sign	61	61	61	61	=
equals sign	62	62	62	62	>
greater-than sign	?	?	?	?	question mark
64	@	@	@	@	commercial at
65	A	A	A	A	Latin capital letter A
66	B	B	B	B	Latin capital letter B
67	C	C	C	C	Latin capital letter C
68	D	D	D	D	Latin capital letter D
69	E	E	E	E	Latin capital letter E
70	F	F	F	F	Latin capital letter F
71	G	G	G	G	Latin capital letter G
72	H	H	H	H	Latin capital letter H
73	I	I	I	I	Latin capital letter I
74	J	J	J	J	Latin capital letter J
75	K	K	K	K	Latin capital letter K
76	L	L	L	L	Latin capital letter L
77	M	M	M	M	Latin capital letter M
78	N	N	N	N	Latin capital letter N
79	O	O	O	O	Latin capital letter O
Latin capital letter M	N	N	N	N	Latin capital letter N
O	Latin capital letter O	Latin capital letter O	Latin capital letter O	Latin capital letter O	80
P	Latin capital letter P	Latin capital letter P	Latin capital letter P	Latin capital letter P	81
Q	Latin capital letter Q	Latin capital letter Q	Latin capital letter Q	Latin capital letter Q	82
R	Latin capital letter R	Latin capital letter R	Latin capital letter R	Latin capital letter R	83
S	Latin capital letter S	Latin capital letter S	Latin capital letter S	Latin capital letter S	84
T	Latin capital letter T	Latin capital letter T	Latin capital letter T	Latin capital letter T	85
U	Latin capital letter U	Latin capital letter U	Latin capital letter U	Latin capital letter U	86
V	Latin capital letter V	Latin capital letter V	Latin capital letter V	Latin capital letter V	87
W	Latin capital letter W	Latin capital letter W	Latin capital letter W	Latin capital letter W	88
X	Latin capital letter X	Latin capital letter X	Latin capital letter X	Latin capital letter X	89
Y	Latin capital letter Y	Latin capital letter Y	Latin capital letter Y	Latin capital letter Y	90
Z	Latin capital letter Z	Latin capital letter Z	Latin capital letter Z	Latin capital letter Z	91
[	left square bracket	left square bracket	left square bracket	left square bracket	\
reverse solidus	]	]	]	]	right square bracket
^	circumflex accent	circumflex accent	circumflex accent	circumflex accent	_
low line	`	`	`	`	grave accent
97	a	a	a	a	Latin small letter a
98	b	b	b	b	Latin small letter b
99	c	c	c	c	Latin small letter c
100	d	d	d	d	Latin small letter d
101	e	e	e	e	Latin small letter e
102	f	f	f	f	Latin small letter f
103	g	g	g	g	Latin small letter g
104	h	h	h	h	Latin small letter h
105	i	i	i	i	Latin small letter i
106	j	j	j	j	Latin small letter j
107	k	k	k	k	Latin small letter k
108	l	l	l	l	Latin small letter l
109	m	m	m	m	Latin small letter m
110	n	n	n	n	Latin small letter n
111	o	o	o	o	Latin small letter o
112	p	p	p	p	Latin small letter p
113	q	q	q	q	Latin small letter q
114	r	r	r	r	Latin small letter r
115	s	s	s	s	Latin small letter s
116	t	t	t	t	Latin small letter t
117	u	u	u	u	Latin small letter u
118	v	v	v	v	Latin small letter v
119	w	w	w	w	Latin small letter w
120	x	x	x	x	Latin small letter x
121	y	y	y	y	Latin small letter y
122	z	z	z	z	Latin small letter z
123	{	{	{	{	left curly bracket
124	\|	\|	\|	\|	vertical line
125	}	}	}	}	right curly bracket
126	˜	˜	˜	˜	tilde
127	DEL
128		€			euro sign
129		›	›	›	single right-pointing angle quotation mark
130		‹			single low-9 quotation mark
131		›			Latin small letter f with hook
132		‹			double low-9 quotation mark
133		…			horizontal ellipsis
134		‡			dagger
135		†			double dagger
136		˜			modifier letter circumflex accent
137		˛			per mille sign
138		˚			Latin capital letter S with caron
139		˙			single left-pointing angle quotation mark
140		˘			Latin capital ligature OE
141		ˇ	ˇ	ˇ	single right-pointing angle quotation mark
142		ˆ			Latin capital letter Z with caron
143		‛	‛	‛	single right-pointing angle quotation mark
144		‐	‐	‐	single right-pointing angle quotation mark
145		‘			left single quotation mark
146		’			right single quotation mark
147		“			left double quotation mark
148		”			right double quotation mark
149					bullet
150					en dash
151					149
		bullet
en dash					em dash
152					small tilde
153					trade mark sign
154					Latin small letter s with caron
155					single right-pointing angle quotation mark
156					Latin small ligature oe
157					NOT USED
158
Latin small letter z with caron		159	159	159
Latin capital letter Y with diaeresis		160	160	160	no-break space
¡		inverted exclamation mark	inverted exclamation mark	inverted exclamation mark	¢
cent sign		£	£	£	pound sign
¤		currency sign	currency sign	currency sign	¥
yen sign		166	166	166	¦
broken bar		167	167	167	§
section sign		168	168	168	¨
diaeresis		169	169	169	©
copyright sign		170	170	170	ª
feminine ordinal indicator		171	171	171	«
left-pointing double angle quotation mark		172	172	172	¬
not sign					soft hyphen
174		®	®	®	registered sign
175		¯	¯	¯	macron
176		°	°	°	degree sign
177		±	±	±	plus-minus sign
178		²	²	²	superscript two
179		³	³	³	superscript three
180		´	´	´	acute accent
181		µ	µ	µ	micro sign
182		¶	¶	¶	pilcrow sign
183		·	·	·	middle dot
184		¸	¸	¸	cedilla
185		¹	¹	¹	superscript one
186		º	º	º	masculine ordinal indicator
187		»	»	»	right-pointing double angle quotation mark
188		¼	¼	¼	vulgar fraction one quarter
189		½	½	½	vulgar fraction one half
190		¾	¾	¾	vulgar fraction three quarters
191		¿	¿	¿	inverted question mark
192		À	À	À	Latin capital letter A with grave
193		Á	Á	Á	Latin capital letter A with acute
194		Â	Â	Â	Latin capital letter A with circumflex
195		Ã	Ã	Ã	Latin capital letter A with tilde
196		Ä	Ä	Ä	Latin capital letter A with diaeresis
197		Å	Å	Å	Latin capital letter A with ring above
198		Æ	Æ	Æ	Latin capital letter AE
199		Ç	Ç	Ç	Latin capital letter C with cedilla
200		È	È	È	Latin capital letter E with grave
201		É	É	É	Latin capital letter E with acute
202		Ê	Ê	Ê	Latin capital letter E with circumflex
203		Ë	Ë	Ë	Latin capital letter E with diaeresis
204		Ì	Ì	Ì	Latin capital letter I with grave
205		Í	Í	Í	Latin capital letter I with acute
206		Î	Î	Î	Latin capital letter I with circumflex
207		Ï	Ï	Ï	Latin capital letter I with diaeresis
208		Ð	Ð	Ð	Latin capital letter Eth
209		Ñ	Ñ	Ñ	Latin capital letter N with tilde
210		Ò	Ò	Ò	Latin capital letter O with grave
211		Ó	Ó	Ó	Latin capital letter O with acute
212		Ô	Ô	Ô	Latin capital letter O with circumflex
213		Õ	Õ	Õ	Latin capital letter O with tilde
214		Ö	Ö	Ö	Latin capital letter O with diaeresis
215		×	×	×	multiplication sign
216		Ø	Ø	Ø	Latin capital letter O with stroke
217		Ù	Ù	Ù	Latin capital letter U with grave
218		Ú	Ú	Ú	Latin capital letter U with acute
219		Û	Û	Û	Latin capital letter U with circumflex
220		Ü	Ü	Ü	Latin capital letter U with diaeresis
221		Ý	Ý	Ý	Latin capital letter Y with acute
222		Þ	Þ	Þ	Latin capital letter Thorn
223		ß	ß	ß	Latin small letter sharp s
224		à	à	à	Latin small letter a with grave
225		á	á	á	Latin small letter a with acute
226		â	â	â	Latin small letter a with circumflex
227		ã	ã	ã	Latin small letter a with tilde
228		ä	ä	ä	Latin small letter a with diaeresis
229		å	å	å	Latin small letter a with ring above
230		æ	æ	æ	Latin small letter ae
231		ç	ç	ç	Latin small letter c with cedilla
232		è	è	è	Latin small letter e with grave
233		é	é	é	Latin small letter e with acute
234		ê	ê	ê	Latin small letter e with circumflex
235		ë	ë	ë	Latin small letter e with diaeresis
236		ì	ì	ì	Latin small letter i with grave
237		í	í	í	Latin small letter i with acute
238		î	î	î	Latin small letter i with circumflex
239		ï	ï	ï	Latin small letter i with diaeresis
240		ð	ð	ð	Latin small letter eth
241		ñ	ñ	ñ	Latin small letter n with tilde
242		ò	ò	ò	Latin small letter o with grave
243		ó	ó	ó	Latin small letter o with acute
244		ô	ô	ô	Latin small letter o with circumflex
245		õ	õ	õ	Latin small letter o with tilde
246		ö	ö	ö	Latin small letter o with diaeresis
247		÷	÷	÷	division sign
248		ø	ø	ø	Latin small letter o with stroke
249		ù	ù	ù	Latin small letter u with grave
250		ú	ú	ú	Latin small letter u with acute
251		û	û	û	Latin small letter with circumflex
252		ü	ü	ü	Latin small letter u with diaeresis
253		ý	ý	ý	Latin small letter y with acute
254		þ	þ	þ	Latin small letter thorn
255		ÿ	ÿ	ÿ	Latin small letter y with diaeresis

ASCII character set

ASCII uses values from 0 to 31 (as well as 127) as control characters.

ASCII uses values from 32 to 126 to represent letters, numbers, and symbols.

ASCII does not use values from 128 to 255.

ANSI Character Set (Windows-1252)

For values from 0 to 127, ANSI is the same as ASCII.

ANSI has a set of proprietary characters, whose values range from 128 to 159.

For values from 160 to 255, ANSI is the same as UTF-8.

ISO-8859-1 Character Set

For values from 0 to 127, 8859-1 is the same as ASCII.

8859-1 does not use values from 128 to 159.

For values from 160 to 255, 8859-1 is the same as UTF-8.

UTF-8 Character Set

For values from 0 to 127, UTF-8 is the same as ASCII.

UTF-8 does not use values from 128 to 159.

For values from 160 to 255, UTF-8 is the same as ANSI and 8859-1.

UTF-8 continues from value 256, containing more than 10,000 different characters.

For a deeper understanding, please read our complete HTML Character Set Reference Manual.

CSS @charset Rule

You can use the CSS @charset rule to specify the character encoding used in the stylesheet:

Example

Set the encoding of the stylesheet to Unicode UTF-8:

@charset "UTF-8";

For more information, please refer to our CSS Reference Manual. CSS @charset Rule Content.

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