Leftwards Arrow To Bar
Block: Arrows
- Symbol
- ⇤
- Unicode
U+21E4- Unicode name
- LEFTWARDS ARROW TO BAR
- Block
- Arrows
- Category
- Symbol, Other
- Type
- Unicode symbol
Leftwards Arrow To Bar (⇤) is encoded as U+21E4 and has the formal Unicode name LEFTWARDS ARROW TO BAR. 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 Arrow To Bar (U+21E5); those records should be compared by name and code point rather than merged because their shapes or terminology are related.
Reading Leftwards Arrow To Bar in Context
⇤ is encoded as U+21E4 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.
Have another unfamiliar character? Open identify the ⇤ symbol and identify it from the glyph itself, a Unicode value, or its appearance.
Encoding ⇤ in HTML and Source Text
U+21E4 = decimal 8676 = HTML ⇤ / ⇤. A Unicode escape-style form is u21E4. Its UTF-8 bytes are E2 87 A4.
Use these identifiers in markup, source code, exports, or character diagnostics when the glyph alone is not enough.
Do Not Collapse Leftwards Arrow To Bar Into Nearby Named Variants
Unicode stores ⇤ as U+21E4, while nearby records include ⇥ Rightwards Arrow To Bar (U+21E5). 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.