How to add less than and greater than in html

To add less than and greater than symbols in HTML, use the character entities < for less than (> for greater than (>). These entities ensure the symbols display correctly without being mistaken for HTML tags.

HtmlHow-ToBeginner · 3 min read

How to Add Less Than and Greater Than Symbols in HTML

To add less than and greater than symbols in HTML, use the character entities < for less than (<) and > for greater than (>). These entities ensure the symbols display correctly without being mistaken for HTML tags.

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Syntax

In HTML, the less than and greater than symbols are reserved for tags. To show them as text, use these character entities:

< for the less than symbol (<)
> for the greater than symbol (>)

These codes start with an ampersand (&), followed by a short name, and end with a semicolon (;).

text

&lt; for less than symbol
&gt; for greater than symbol

Output

< for less than symbol > for greater than symbol

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Example

This example shows how to display less than and greater than symbols in a paragraph without confusing the browser:

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>Less Than and Greater Than Example</title>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Use &lt; to mean less than and &gt; to mean greater than.</p>
  <p>Example: 5 &lt; 10 and 10 &gt; 5.</p>
</body>
</html>

Output

Use < to mean less than and > to mean greater than. Example: 5 < 10 and 10 > 5.

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Common Pitfalls

Many beginners try to write the symbols directly like < or > in HTML. This causes errors because the browser thinks they are tags.

Always use < and > to show these symbols as text.

html

<!-- Wrong way: -->
<p>5 < 10 and 10 > 5</p>

<!-- Right way: -->
<p>5 &lt; 10 and 10 &gt; 5</p>

Output

5 < 10 and 10 > 5

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Quick Reference

Symbol	HTML Entity	Description
<	<	Less than symbol
>	>	Greater than symbol

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Key Takeaways

Use < and > to display less than and greater than symbols in HTML.

Writing < or > directly can break your HTML because they are reserved for tags.

Character entities start with & and end with ; to show special symbols safely.

Always test your HTML in a browser to confirm symbols display correctly.