Left-to-right Embedding Symbol
A bidirectional control character that embeds following text in left-to-right direction.
U+202A
is the Unicode Left-to-Right Embedding character (U+202A). It’s used in bidirectional (BiDi) text to influence how subsequent characters are displayed. Copy it to help fix direction issues in mixed-language strings.
Left-to-right Embedding Symbol Meaning
Left-to-Right Embedding (U+202A) is a Unicode bidirectional control character. When inserted into text, it requests that the following characters be treated as left-to-right, even if the surrounding context is right-to-left (or otherwise mixed). This is useful when you have punctuation, code-like strings, names, or segments that should appear left-to-right inside a bidirectional paragraph. It does not visually “stand alone”; instead, it changes text direction behavior. Use it carefully and, when applicable, pair it with the appropriate counterpart to limit the scope of the embedding.
Common uses
- •Forcing left-to-right display of a short phrase inside a right-to-left paragraph
- •Ensuring code snippets or identifiers appear left-to-right in mixed-language emails
- •Stabilizing punctuation and spacing for mixed-direction UI labels
- •Controlling direction for embedded Latin text in bidirectional chat messages
- •Handling direction issues when rendering user-generated text in web forms
Examples
Left-to-Right Embedding (U+202A)
- שלום example.com domain
- RTL text then 123 ABC in one line
- عنوان بالعربية: Left to right segment داخل النص
- ملاحظة: Version 2.1.0 تثبت كاتجاه لليسار
- Chat: UserName (Latin) with Arabic around it
Variations
Ready to copy
Technical codes
| Unicode | U+202A | |
| HTML Entity | ‪ | |
| HTML Code | ‪ | |
| CSS | \202A |
FAQ
What does the Left-to-Right Embedding character do?
It’s a Unicode bidirectional control that requests left-to-right direction for the following text.
Should I see the symbol as a visible character?
Usually no—its purpose is to affect text direction behavior rather than appear as a standalone glyph.
Where can I use it safely (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)?
You can copy it directly into text fields, or use its HTML entity (‪) and escapes like CSS \\202A or JavaScript \\u{202A}.
Do I need an ending character for the embedding to stop?
Often direction formatting is scoped by related bidirectional controls; if you only want it to apply to a portion of text, use the appropriate counterpart for your situation.