Top Parenthesis ⏜
⏜ (U+23DC) is a standard Unicode character that you can copy and paste anywhere text is accepted. This page provides a concise reference with safe tips, internal links, and practical guidance so you can use it reliably across apps and platforms.
What it is and where it’s used: Top Parenthesis is part of the Symbols family (block: Miscellaneous Technical). If you need styled or decorative alternatives, try our Fancy Text tool to generate compatible text that works in most modern interfaces.
History & usage: The TOP PARENTHESIS is a symbol with the codepoint U+23DC in the Miscellaneous Technical block. It has a clear toled shape used in text and code. Its main role is to mark the start of a paired element in some contexts. It helps show where a group, parameter, or quoted text begins. In practice, authors and programmers use it to set apart items and ideas. The symbol appears alongside other punctuation to clarify structure. It helps readers see where a set or option opens. It often works with a closing partner to surround content. The usage is described as a delimiter for groups and quoted material. When writing or coding, this symbol can indicate the start of a nested section or a parameter list. It keeps ideas organized and readable. As a typographic tool, it supports clarity without extra words. The context for this symbol is flexible and varies by field. Overall, it serves as a simple, direct marker for grouped content in writing and code.
Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+23DC
in many development tools or editors. Some operating systems provide a character viewer or input palette that lets you search by name or code and insert the glyph into documents.
Display and fallback: if you see an empty box (tofu) or a placeholder rectangle, the active font might not include this codepoint. Switching to a font with broader Unicode coverage or using a fallback font usually fixes the issue. On the web, ensure the page’s font stack includes a general‑purpose fallback.
Related references: browse the Categories for similar characters. When choosing a symbol, prefer the official codepoint for semantic clarity and better compatibility with search, copy, and accessibility tooling.
See our category page for related symbols.
Related confusable: view similar characters.
Confusables
Technical details
- Codepoint:
U+23DC
- General Category:
Sm
- Age:
5.0
- Bidi Class:
ON
- Block:
Miscellaneous Technical
- Script:
Common
- UTF-8:
E2 8F 9C
- UTF-16:
23DC
- UTF-32:
000023DC
- HTML dec:
⏜
- HTML hex:
⏜
- JS escape:
\u23DC
- Python \N{}:
\N{TOP PARENTHESIS}
- Python \u:
\u23DC
- Python \U:
\U000023DC
- URL-encoded:
%E2%8F%9C
- CSS escape:
\23DC
How to type / insert
Fast copy: click the Copy button near the top of this page.
By codepoint: in many editors and IDEs, you can insert via the Unicode code U+23DC
or a built‑in character picker.
HTML: use the numeric entity ⏜
(hex) or ⏜
(decimal) when an HTML entity is needed.
Compatibility & troubleshooting
Font support: if the symbol does not render, the current font likely lacks this codepoint. Choose a font with broad Unicode coverage or allow a fallback font.
Web pages: ensure your CSS font stack includes a general fallback; avoid relying on images for common symbols to preserve accessibility and copyability.