HTML Entity - Pound Sign
Pound Sign is a currency symbols used in financial contexts and pricing. This HTML entity enables web developers to display this character reliably across all browsers without encoding issues.
U+00A3
£
\00A3
Use this HTML entity in pricing displays, financial documents, and e-commerce product pages. For example, € for Euro, £ for Pound, ¥ for Yen.
About Pound Sign
The pound sign in this entry is the pound sterling symbol (£), the currency sign of the United Kingdom. Its code point is U+00A3, and in HTML you write £, £ or £.
The symbol derives from an ornate capital L, standing for libra, the Latin word for a pound weight and the origin of the currency's name. The same sign is also used, or has been used, for several other currencies such as the Egyptian and Lebanese pound and historically the Italian lira.
Note the naming trap: in the United States the phrase "pound sign" often refers to the hash character (#), also called a number sign. In HTML, however, £ always means £, and the hash is # or #. Being precise about which symbol you mean avoids confusion in documentation and code.
Encoding and input: in HTML use £. In CSS write the CSS escape. On Windows the Alt code is Alt 0163, and on macOS the shortcut is Shift+Option+4. In LaTeX it is \pounds.
When writing money, the placement of the symbol varies by locale. British English typically writes £5.99 with the symbol before the number and no space, while some styles put the symbol before with a thin space. For accessibility, screen readers may read £ as "pounds", so amounts in forms and invoices should also include the currency code (GBP) where there is any chance of ambiguity.
Finally, keep the pound sterling sign distinct from related currency glyphs such as the euro (€), the yen (¥) and the cent (¢). When you copy prices between systems, verify that the correct code point survived the round trip, because visually similar currency symbols are easy to mix up in fonts.
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Confusing £ (pound sterling) with ₤ (lira sign)
Fix: Use £ (£) for British pounds. The ₤ symbol with two crossbars is the lira sign, though the single-bar £ is now the standard.
Mistake: Using the hash symbol # instead of £ for British currency
Fix: The hash symbol # is called "pound sign" in some contexts (telephone keypads), but for currency, always use £.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is £ the hash or the British pound?
In HTML £ is the pound sterling sign £. The hash character # is # or the digit symbol, not £.
What is the HTML entity for the pound sign?
Use £. The numeric equivalents are £ and £, all rendering £ (U+00A3).
How do I type the pound symbol?
On Windows use Alt 0163. On macOS use Shift+Option+4. In HTML write £ or paste the character.
How should I format a price in pounds?
British English commonly writes £5.99 with the symbol before the number and no space. For clarity in forms and invoices, include the ISO code GBP.
Which currencies use the pound sign?
The pound sterling (£) is the best known. Several others, such as the Egyptian pound, also use a pound-derived sign. Context or a currency code disambiguates them.
What is the difference between £ and € or ¥?
They are different code points for different currencies. Fonts can make them look similar, so verify the character survives when copying between systems.
Pound Sign
Select any code to highlight it before copying.
| Unicode | U+00A3 |
|---|---|
| Hex Code | £ |
| HTML Code | £ |
| HTML Entity | £ |
| CSS Code | \00A3 |
| Windows Shortcut | Alt 0163 |
| Mac Shortcut | ⇧⌥4 |