Long Leftwards Arrow ⟵

The Long Leftwards Arrow character (⟵) is a standard HTML entity defined in the HTML specification. In HTML source code, it can be written using the named entity reference ⟵, the decimal numeric character reference ⟵, or the hexadecimal numeric reference ⟵. The character is assigned Unicode code point U+27F5 in the Universal Character Set.

The long leftwards arrow is an extended-width left-pointing arrow used in mathematical notation for long-range mappings and in display equations. It is wider than the standard leftwards arrow and provides better visual proportions when spanning across mathematical expressions with multiple symbols.

Arrow entities serve as directional indicators in navigation interfaces, mathematical expressions, flowcharts, and textual content throughout the web. Because they render as scalable text characters rather than bitmap images, HTML arrow entities are resolution-independent, styleable with CSS properties like color and font-size, and fully accessible to assistive technologies including screen readers.

When deciding how to encode the Long Leftwards Arrow character in your HTML documents, the named entity ⟵ is generally the most readable choice for developers reviewing or maintaining source code. The decimal form ⟵ and hexadecimal form ⟵ are equally valid alternatives that work in contexts where named entities may not be supported, or when generating HTML output programmatically from server-side code. All three representations produce identical visual output in every modern web browser.

Use the long leftwards arrow in mathematical display equations where the standard arrow is too short, in chemical reaction equations with long reactant names, and in diagrams showing mappings between distant objects. It provides better visual balance in wide mathematical expressions.