Less-Than Sign <
(U+3C) 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: Less-Than Sign is part of the Symbols family (block: Basic Latin). 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 LESS-THAN SIGN is a character in the Basic Latin block. It has the code point U+003C. Its official name is LESS-THAN SIGN. In plain text, it is used to show a comparison: less than. The symbol appears in math and in user interfaces to indicate order and relation. In formulas, it helps compare numbers or variables. In software, it helps sort lists, filter data, and set limits. The surrounding history is tied to early computing and typesetting where symbols were chosen for clarity in plain text. As a common math symbol, it appears in many languages and keyboards. It remains basic for coding, scripting, and web formats, where it often serves as a delimiter or operator. The usage emphasizes operations and comparisons in formulas and user interfaces. LESS-THAN SIGN helps developers communicate inequality clearly. Keep in mind it is distinct from similar symbols and should be used where a lower value is intended. In short, this simple symbol supports math, logic, and UI tasks across many platforms.
Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+3C 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.
Confusables
Technical details
- Codepoint:
U+3C - General Category:
Sm - Age:
1.1 - Bidi Class:
ON - Block:
Basic Latin - Script:
Common - UTF-8:
3C - UTF-16:
003C - UTF-32:
0000003C - HTML dec:
< - HTML hex:
< - JS escape:
\u003C - Python \N{}:
\N{LESS-THAN SIGN} - Python \u:
\u003C - Python \U:
\U0000003C - URL-encoded:
%3C - CSS escape:
\3C
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+3C or a built‑in character picker.
HTML: use the numeric entity &#x3c; (hex) or &#60; (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.