U+02BB "ʻ" Modifier Letter Turned Comma Unicode Character
Unicode Version 17.0
ʻ
U+02BB "ʻ" Modifier Letter Turned Comma is a small, raised typographical mark that resembles a comma rotated 180 degrees, and it is primarily used as a glottal stop symbol in various Polynesian languages, such as Hawaiian (where it is known as the ʻokina) and Samoan (where it is called the koma liliu). In these writing systems, the character functions as a true consonant, representing a glottal stop sound, and it is distinct from both an apostrophe and a single quotation mark, ensuring proper linguistic representation and readability. Its inclusion in Unicode allows for consistent digital encoding and display across modern devices and platforms, preserving the orthographic accuracy of these languages.
General Properties
| Code Point | U+02BB |
| Version Added | 1.1 |
| Name | Modifier Letter Turned Comma |
| Block | Spacing Modifier Letters |
| General Category | Modifier Letter |
| Canonical Combining Class | Not Reordered |
| Bidirectional Class | Left To Right |
Encodings
| HTML Decimal Encoding | ʻ |
| HTML Hex Encoding | ʻ |
| UTF-8 Encoding | 0xCA 0xBB |
| UTF-16 Encoding | 0x02BB |
| UTF-32 Encoding | 0x000002BB |
| C/C++/Java Escape | \u02bb |