Latin Small Letter U With Macron Letter
ū is the Latin small letter u with a macron used to mark a long vowel in many languages and romanization systems.
U+016B
The symbol ū is a Unicode character named LATIN SMALL LETTER U WITH MACRON (U+016B). It’s commonly used when a “long u” sound or vowel length needs to be written clearly.
Latin Small Letter U With Macron Letter Meaning
ū is the lowercase letter “u” with a macron (a horizontal line above it). In many writing systems and academic or linguistic contexts, the macron indicates vowel length, so ū typically represents a “long u” rather than a short one. You may also see it in romanization of languages that distinguish vowel duration, where consistency matters for reading and indexing. Beyond linguistics, designers and content creators use ū in proper names, transliterated terms, and titles where the original spelling or pronunciation guide must be preserved. Because it is a distinct Unicode character, it should be copied as-is to avoid subtle spelling changes.
Common uses
- •Writing romanized names and words that require vowel length (long u)
- •Linguistics notes and phonetics/transliteration conventions
- •Academic citations where original spelling with macrons must be preserved
- •UI text for language learning content that uses accurate vowel markings
- •Typography and branding mockups that include transliterated terms
Examples
ū (u with macron)
- ūmā ū rā
- ūĀ ū Ē example
- ūshūjin and ūmi
- ūUse ū in the word ūval
- ūProper spelling: ū
Variations
Technical codes
| Unicode | U+016B | |
| HTML Entity | ū | |
| HTML Code | ū | |
| CSS | \016B |
FAQ
What is the Unicode code point for ū?
ū is Unicode U+016B (LATIN SMALL LETTER U WITH MACRON).
How do I type or generate ū in code?
Common escapes are HTML ū and Unicode U+016B (for example JavaScript \\u{016B}).
Is ū the same as a regular “u” character?
No. ū is a distinct Unicode character; it should not be replaced with plain “u” if vowel length or spelling accuracy matters.
What does the macron mean on u?
The macron typically marks vowel length, often indicating a “long u” in linguistic and romanization contexts.