Subscript Left Parenthesis ₍

₍ (U+208D) is a standard Unicode character that you can copy and paste anywhere text is accepted. This page provides a concise reference with safe tips, internal links, and practical guidance so you can use it reliably across apps and platforms.

What it is and where it’s used: Subscript Left Parenthesis is part of the Symbols family (block: Superscripts and Subscripts). If you need styled or decorative alternatives, try our Fancy Text tool to generate compatible text that works in most modern interfaces.

History & usage: The SUBSCRIPT LEFT PARENTHESIS character is a subscript form of the left parenthesis. Its code point is U+208D. It belongs to the Subscripts and Subscripts block and is used in technical work alongside other subscript forms. In practice, it acts as a bracket that sits lower on the baseline. Writers and programmers use it to help show groups or parameters when subscripts appear. This symbol can mark a start of a group or a quoted item while staying in a subscript position. Its role fits with the idea of brackets and quotes that delimit groups, parameters, or quoted text in writing and code. Because it is a subscript character, it helps keep line text compact and readable in formulas, chemistry notes, and software output. Users may encounter it in documents that require precise notation without raising the main text. While not common in everyday prose, it remains useful for technical notation and disciplined formatting. Overall, this character supports clear grouping and parameterization in contexts that use subscripts and specialized text.

Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+208D in many development tools or editors. Some operating systems provide a character viewer or input palette that lets you search by name or code and insert the glyph into documents.

Display and fallback: if you see an empty box (tofu) or a placeholder rectangle, the active font might not include this codepoint. Switching to a font with broader Unicode coverage or using a fallback font usually fixes the issue. On the web, ensure the page’s font stack includes a general‑purpose fallback.

Related references: browse the Categories for similar characters. When choosing a symbol, prefer the official codepoint for semantic clarity and better compatibility with search, copy, and accessibility tooling.

See our category page for related symbols.