Mathematical Italic Small B 𝑏
Visual Description: The mathematical italic small b is a lowercase b drawn in an italic math font. It looks like a regular b but slanted and slightly more cursive. The form sits apart from body text to signal math notation. This style helps distinguish symbols from ordinary letters in equations.
Meaning & Usage: It commonly denotes a variable or parameter in formulas. In algebra, calculus, and statistics, b stands for a quantity that can vary. The italic styling signals math context and avoids confusion with ordinary text. In digital tools, editors and calculators apply this font to typed math to keep it clear.
Historical Background: Across many mathematical traditions, italic letters became standard to mark variables. The practice spread with printed textbooks and mathematical typography. The goal was to visually separate symbols from prose so equations read more like formulas. This style has endured as fonts evolved and digital math interfaces emerged.
Practical Use: In math editors, calculators, and quick UI controls, you may insert the italic b to represent a variable in equations. Users can swap it with other symbols to compare quantities or to show bases in equations. Shortcuts and templates speed up entry, keeping calculations tidy and readable.
See our category page for related symbols.
Look‑alikes: b (U+62).
Need styled alternatives? Try the Fancy Text tool.
Confusables
Technical details
- Codepoint:
U+1D44F - General Category:
Ll - Age:
3.1 - Bidi Class:
L - Decomposition:
<font> 0062 - Block:
Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols - Script:
Common - UTF-8:
F0 9D 91 8F - UTF-16:
D835 DC4F - UTF-32:
0001D44F - HTML dec:
𝑏 - HTML hex:
𝑏 - JS escape:
\u{1D44F} - Python \N{}:
\N{MATHEMATICAL ITALIC SMALL B} - Python \U:
\U0001D44F - URL-encoded:
%F0%9D%91%8F - CSS escape:
\1D44F
How to type / insert
Fast copy: click the Copy button near the top of this page.
By codepoint: in many editors and IDEs, you can insert via the Unicode code U+1D44F or a built‑in character picker.
HTML: use the numeric entity 푏 (hex) or 푏 (decimal) when an HTML entity is needed.
Compatibility & troubleshooting
Font support: if the symbol does not render, the current font likely lacks this codepoint. Choose a font with broad Unicode coverage or allow a fallback font.
Web pages: ensure your CSS font stack includes a general fallback; avoid relying on images for common symbols to preserve accessibility and copyability.