U204E

U+204E, named LOW ASTERISK, is a Unicode code point in the General Punctuation block. It renders as a small asterisk positioned lower on the baseline than the standard asterisk. The character’s glyph is typically shown as the symbol ⁎. Its formal name is LOW ASTERISK, and it has the hexadecimal value 204E.

Usage and properties: The LOW ASTERISK is a specialized typographic mark rather than a common punctuation symbol. It is rarely used in everyday text and appears primarily in niche typesetting, scholarly notation, or fonts that require a smaller or differently positioned asterisk. Because it is not widely adopted, input methods and fonts may provide limited or inconsistent support, and the glyph may render as a regular asterisk or be omitted if the font lacks the character.

Encoding and rendering: In digital documents, U+204E can be included with the HTML entity ⁎ or the numeric reference ⁎. Rendering depends on font support; some fonts display the glyph as a distinct low asterisk, while others substitute a standard asterisk or leave a placeholder if unavailable.

Relation to other symbols: The LOW ASTERISK is related to the standard asterisk (U+002A) but is distinct in its placement and intended use. It should not be confused with typographically similar marks such as the dagger or double dagger, which have different names and functions.

See also: Asterisk (U+002A), Dagger (U+2020), Double Dagger (U+2021).

References: Unicode Consortium. The Unicode Standard, General Punctuation block.