Left Double Quotation Mark ()

HTML entity for the left double quotation mark (“). Learn how to use “ or “ in HTML for proper typographic double quotes.

Punctuation

Left Double Quotation Mark

All Formats

FormatValue
Character
HTML Entity“
HTML Code (Decimal)“
UnicodeU+201C
CSS Content\201C
CategoryPunctuation

About Left Double Quotation Mark

The left double quotation mark (“), also called the opening double quote or left curly double quote, is the typographically correct way to begin a quoted passage in American English. It curves in toward the quoted text.

In HTML, insert this character using “, “, or “. The named entity “ is readable and well-supported. In American English, double quotation marks are the primary quotation marks, while in British English, they are used for quotes within quotes.

The left double quotation mark is part of the General Punctuation Unicode block. Using curly double quotes instead of straight double quotes (") is a hallmark of professional typography. The straight quote character is an artifact of typewriter keyboards and should be replaced with curly quotes in published content.

In CSS, use "\201C" with the content property for pseudo-element insertion. A common technique is to use this character in blockquote::before to add a decorative opening quotation mark. This approach is used by many CSS frameworks and content-focused website templates.

Usage Examples

<!-- Using named entity -->
<p>This is the Left Double Quotation Mark: &ldquo;</p>

<!-- Using numeric code -->
<p>This is the Left Double Quotation Mark: &#8220;</p>

<!-- Using the character directly (UTF-8) -->
<p>This is the Left Double Quotation Mark: “</p>

<!-- In CSS -->
.icon::before {
  content: "\201C";
}

FAQ

What is the HTML entity for Left Double Quotation Mark?

The Left Double Quotation Mark () can be inserted using the named entity &ldquo;, the numeric code &#8220;, or by pasting the character directly in a UTF-8 document.

How do I use in CSS?

In CSS, use the content property with the value "\201C". For example: content: "\201C";

What is the Unicode code point for Left Double Quotation Mark?

The Unicode code point for Left Double Quotation Mark is U+201C. This is the universal identifier for this character across all platforms and programming languages.

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