Right-to-left Override Symbol
The Right-to-Left Override character forces following text to be treated as right-to-left.
U+202E
The Right-to-Left Override character (U+202E) is a Unicode formatting mark. It affects the directionality of the text around it in rendering and browsers. Use it carefully, since it can change how mixed text appears.
Right-to-left Override Symbol Meaning
Right-to-Left Override (U+202E) is a bidirectional text control character from Unicode. When inserted, it overrides the direction of subsequent characters, making them display as right-to-left until the direction is changed again (or overridden back) by another bidi control character or by context rules. This is commonly encountered in scenarios involving right-to-left scripts, where a developer wants to control ordering and alignment. Because it can significantly alter how surrounding characters are presented—especially in mixed left-to-right and right-to-left text—it should be used intentionally and tested in the exact environments where it will be displayed.
Common uses
- •Forcing right-to-left rendering of a specific substring in a mixed-direction sentence
- •Correcting display order in text that mixes Arabic/Hebrew with Latin text
- •Creating controlled visual ordering in UI labels or templates that include bidi text
- •Testing how browsers and editors handle bidirectional overrides
- •Embedding direction control in generated text from systems that don’t preserve bidi intent
Examples
Right-to-Left Override Symbol
- price: 12345
- עברית ABC 123
- note: code segment
- label: X12-34-56
- display: שלום www.example.com
Variations
Ready to copy
Technical codes
| Unicode | U+202E | |
| HTML Entity | ‮ | |
| HTML Code | ‮ | |
| CSS | \202E |
FAQ
What does the Right-to-Left Override symbol do?
It forces the following characters to be treated and displayed with right-to-left directionality until the bidi behavior is changed by other controls or context.
How do I copy it safely into HTML?
You can paste the character directly, or use its HTML entity: ‮. Test rendering in the same browsers/editors you target.
Why can this character change text I didn’t intend to reverse?
Because it affects directionality of subsequent characters, it can alter visual order in mixed left-to-right/right-to-left text, including punctuation and numbers.
When should I avoid using Right-to-Left Override?
Avoid it unless you truly need direction control. If you’re not sure, prefer natural bidi behavior or more limited controls, and confirm results across platforms.