Mathematical Italic Small D 𝑑
Visual Description: The symbol is the mathematical italic small d. It has a slender, slightly curved stem that leans to the right and a rounded bowl. The line is cleaner and more compact than regular text d. It sits neatly in formulas and math interfaces. It helps label variables in equations. It also works well in UI demos.
Meaning & Usage: It marks a mathematical variable in equations. In calculus it appears as d x or d y to denote a small change, a differential, or a differential form. It signals that the symbol is not a normal word, but a symbol with meaning in math.
Historical Background: The math italic alphabet grew out of a typesetting need to separate variables from ordinary text. Special fonts encoded the italic forms for variables, and Unicode later grouped these into dedicated mathematical blocks. The result is a consistent d across books, software, and displays.
Practical Use: In calculators and math editors you may see this d as the variable for differentials or increments. Quick UI controls can insert d, insert dx or dy, or compare small changes side by side. It helps keep formulas clear when switching between text and math modes.
See our category page for related symbols.
Look‑alikes: d (U+64).
Need styled alternatives? Try the Fancy Text tool.
Confusables
Technical details
- Codepoint:
U+1D451 - General Category:
Ll - Age:
3.1 - Bidi Class:
L - Decomposition:
<font> 0064 - Block:
Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols - Script:
Common - UTF-8:
F0 9D 91 91 - UTF-16:
D835 DC51 - UTF-32:
0001D451 - HTML dec:
𝑑 - HTML hex:
𝑑 - JS escape:
\u{1D451} - Python \N{}:
\N{MATHEMATICAL ITALIC SMALL D} - Python \U:
\U0001D451 - URL-encoded:
%F0%9D%91%91 - CSS escape:
\1D451
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+1D451 or a built‑in character picker.
HTML: use the numeric entity 푑 (hex) or 푑 (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.