HTML entity for the multiplication sign ×

× is the HTML entity for the multiplication sign ×, U+00D7 MULTIPLICATION SIGN, and × and × are its numeric references. In UTF-8 it’s C3 97.

Character    × U+00D7 MULTIPLICATION SIGN
Named        ×
Numeric      ×     ×
UTF-8        C3 97

Encoding 1920×1080, 2× zoom gives 1920×1080, 2× zoom.

× or x

× is a symbol and x is a letter. In prose, × is right for dimensions (1920×1080), magnification (2×) and multiplication, and fonts draw it centered like the other operators. In anything a program reads, use the letter: srcset density descriptors are 2x, and a 2× there is invalid. A size string like 1920×1080 doesn’t split on x either.

×  U+00D7  ×    multiplication sign
÷  U+00F7  ÷   division sign
⋅  U+22C5  ⋅     dot operator
✕  U+2715  ✕   MULTIPLICATION X, a dingbat
⨯  U+2A2F  ⨯    vector cross product (HTML5)
✗  U+2717  ✗    ballot X

⨯ and ✗ differ only in case and are different characters.

Close buttons

× is a common close icon. A button that contains only × gets × as its accessible name, so a screen reader announces the symbol rather than “Close”. Give it a label:

<button type="button" aria-label="Close">&times;</button>

&times without a semicolon

&times is one of the legacy names browsers read without a semicolon. A URL printed as text, ?w=1&times=3, displays as ?w=1×=3. In an attribute, the = after the name stops the browser from decoding it, but write every & in a URL as & and you don’t depend on that exception:

<a href="/chart?w=1&amp;times=3">Chart</a>

This tool only reads references that end in ;, so it leaves &times=3 alone.

In CSS, JSX and Markdown

.close::before { content: "\d7"; }

JSX decodes × in text and in quoted attributes; in braces write {'\u00D7'}. CommonMark decodes it in Markdown text and leaves it literal in code spans.