U+309D "ゝ" Hiragana Iteration Mark Unicode Character

U+309D "ゝ" Hiragana Iteration Mark is a small, sinuous symbol used in Japanese writing to indicate the repetition of a preceding hiragana character, functioning as a shorthand device that reduces the need to write the same syllable twice in a row. Its placement typically appears after the character it duplicates, and its usage is often seen in personal names, traditional texts, and certain formal contexts, though it is less common in modern everyday writing. This mark has a voiced counterpart, U+309E "ゞ", which includes a dakuten to signal that the repeated syllable should be pronounced with a voiced sound, such as changing "ka" to "ga".