Leftwards Arrow With Hook
Block: Arrows
- Symbol
- ↩
- Unicode
U+21A9- Unicode name
- LEFTWARDS ARROW WITH HOOK
- Block
- Arrows
- Category
- Symbol, Other
- Type
- Unicode symbol
Leftwards Arrow With Hook (↩) is encoded as U+21A9 and has the formal Unicode name LEFTWARDS ARROW WITH HOOK. 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 With Hook (U+21AA); those records should be compared by name and code point rather than merged because their shapes or terminology are related.
Reading Leftwards Arrow With Hook in Context
↩ is encoded as U+21A9 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.
If your character differs from this one, try what does the ↩ symbol mean? to find the exact mark from pasted text, Unicode, or visual clues.
Unicode Distinctions Around ↩
Unicode stores ↩ as U+21A9, while nearby records include ↪ Rightwards Arrow With Hook (U+21AA). 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.
Rendering Changes, Unicode Identity Does Not
Unicode defines the character or sequence, but the visual artwork comes from the font, emoji set, and rendering system. As a result, shape, color, proportions, and detail can vary without changing the encoded identity.
For identification, compare code points and sequence data rather than expecting pixel-for-pixel consistency. This is especially important for emoji and symbols whose presentation is highly stylized by platforms.
How ↩ Is Encoded
U+21A9 = decimal 8617 = HTML ↩ / ↩. A Unicode escape-style form is u21A9. Its UTF-8 bytes are E2 86 A9.
Use these identifiers in markup, source code, exports, or character diagnostics when the glyph alone is not enough.