Leftwards Two Headed Arrow
Block: Arrows
- Symbol
- ↞
- Unicode
U+219E- Unicode name
- LEFTWARDS TWO HEADED ARROW
- Block
- Arrows
- Category
- Symbol, Other
- Type
- Unicode symbol
Leftwards Two Headed Arrow (↞) is encoded as U+219E and has the formal Unicode name LEFTWARDS TWO HEADED ARROW. Unicode classifies it as Symbol, Other in the Arrows block. Its name places it in the arrow/directional family, which gives the page a narrower identity than the glyph alone. Separately encoded named neighbors include ↠ Rightwards Two Headed Arrow (U+21A0); those records should be compared by name and code point rather than merged because their shapes or terminology are related.
Reading Leftwards Two Headed Arrow in Context
↞ is encoded as U+219E and classified as Symbol, Other. Its formal name narrows it to the arrow/directional family rather than leaving the mark as an unidentified shape.
The Unicode identity and the surrounding document answer different questions: the code point tells you which character is present, while the surrounding formula, interface, document, or notation system determines the local interpretation. Keeping those layers separate prevents a visual guess from being treated as a character definition.
When another character is unclear, try identify the ↞ symbol to identify it from the character itself, its Unicode value, or its shape.
How ↞ Is Encoded
U+219E = decimal 8606 = HTML ↞ / ↞. A Unicode escape-style form is u219E. Its UTF-8 bytes are E2 86 9E.
Use these identifiers in markup, source code, exports, or character diagnostics when the glyph alone is not enough.
Do Not Collapse Leftwards Two Headed Arrow Into Nearby Named Variants
Unicode stores ↞ as U+219E, while nearby records include ↠ Rightwards Two Headed Arrow (U+21A0). These are separate encoded identities, not alternate font drawings of one character.
The comparison is useful because a shared word in the name, a mirrored direction, or a similar outline can make two symbols appear interchangeable. When the distinction matters, compare the complete Unicode name and code point before replacing one record with another.