SymbolHub

Script Small L (Litre) (ℓ)

The script small l (litre) ℓ is Unicode U+2113, a cursive small letter l historically used as the symbol for the litre to avoid visual confusion with the digit 1. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.

Unicode
U+2113
HTML
ℓ
Word
2113 Alt+X

How to type the script small l (litre) (ℓ)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ℓ yourself, use the method for your device below.

Windows

  1. In Word or Outlook, type 2113 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
  2. Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Script Small L, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.

Mac

  1. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for script small l and double-click it.
  2. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 2113.

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2113, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.

iPhone & iPad

  1. Copy ℓ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;scri. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Android

  1. Copy ℓ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 2113, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 2113 in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

  1. Insert → Special characters, then search for “script small l” or draw it in the box.

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(8467) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write ℓ or ℓ in your HTML.

What does ℓ mean?

The script small l ℓ (Unicode name SCRIPT SMALL L, U+2113) is a cursive typographic glyph widely employed as an unambiguous abbreviation for the litre (liter). When the metric system originally adopted the lowercase letter "l" as the unit symbol for volume, typographers and scientists encountered severe readability problems because in many sans-serif typefaces, lowercase "l" is indistinguishable from the numeral 1 or uppercase I. To prevent dangerous dosage misunderstandings in medicine and chemistry, publishers adopted cursive ℓ. Although the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) subsequently sanctioned the uppercase Latin letter "L" alongside lowercase "l", cursive ℓ remains popular in pharmaceutical labeling, beverage containers, and mathematical notations. In Unicode, ℓ resides in letterlike symbols, bridging practical unit symbols with academic math symbols.

Common uses

  • Pharmaceutical syrup bottles and liquid medicine prescriptions: 100 mℓ
  • European and Asian food packaging recipes and volume measures: 1.5 ℓ
  • Mathematical physics notation for orbital angular momentum quantum numbers
  • Engineering specifications for liquid storage tanks and chemical vessels

Script Small L (Litre) codes for HTML, CSS and programming

Every code below produces ℓ. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.

Unicode code pointU+2113
HTML entity (named)ℓ
HTML decimalℓ
HTML hexℓ
CSS contentcontent: "\2113";
JavaScript"\u2113"
Python"\u2113"
Python (by name)"\N{SCRIPT SMALL L}"
Java / C#"\u2113"
LaTeX\ell
UTF-8 bytesE2 84 93
UTF-162113
URL encoded%E2%84%93

ℓ vs look-alike characters

These characters look similar to ℓ but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.

CharNameWhen to use it
L
U+006C		Standard Latin lowercase letter l, which frequently looks identical to digit 1 in modern sans-serif fonts.
Digit One
U+0031		Arabic digit one (U+0031).
Capital I
U+0049		Latin capital letter I (U+0049).
Capital L
U+004C		Latin capital letter L (U+004C), the officially recognized BIPM alternative for litre.

Symbols similar to ℓ

Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full punctuation symbols collection.

ℓ character properties

Official Unicode name
SCRIPT SMALL L
Also known as
litre symbol, liter symbol, script l, cursive l symbol, ell symbol, mathematical script small l
Code point
U+2113
Unicode block
Letterlike Symbols (U+2100–U+214F)
General category
Lowercase letter (Ll)
Added in
Unicode 1.1 (1993)
Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
Emoji
No, it is a text symbol

Frequently asked questions

Is ℓ the official SI symbol for litre?

The official SI symbols for litre are lowercase "l" and uppercase "L". The cursive ℓ is not officially sanctioned by the BIPM, but it is widely used in medicine and packaging to prevent confusion with the digit 1.

Why is cursive ℓ used in medicine?

In handwritten prescriptions and printed medication labels, standard lowercase "l" can be mistaken for the number 1 (e.g., 1l looking like 11), potentially causing fatal tenfold overdose errors.

How do I type ℓ in Microsoft Word?

Type 2113 and press Alt + X in Microsoft Word on Windows to produce the cursive script small l.

Is there an alt code for the script small l (litre)?

No. ℓ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 2113 then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.

How do I type the script small l (litre) on a Mac?

There is no single Option shortcut for ℓ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “script small l” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.

What is the HTML code for the script small l (litre)?

Use the named entity ℓ or the numeric reference ℓ (hex ℓ). All three display ℓ in every browser.

What is the Unicode for the script small l (litre)?

ℓ is U+2113, officially named SCRIPT SMALL L, in the Letterlike Symbols block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).