The less than symbol (<)
The less than symbol is the greater-than sign’s mirror: the point now aims left, at the smaller value on the left, and the open side faces the bigger number on the right. This page copies the less than sign symbol and its family, with examples from maths and code, and the reading trick that keeps the pair straight for good.
Copy the less-than family
Comparisons ready to copy
Reading it without flipping it
“3 < 8” reads three is less than eight — or, in the everyday phrasing, three is the fewer than symbol‘s left-hand value: smaller, earlier, less. Two anchors keep it reliable: the sign’s point always touches the smaller number, and the letter L hides in the shape — < leans like a tilted L for Less, while its partner > never does. Say the sentence aloud; if it stays true, the sign is right.
< in maths and code
| World | What < does there |
|---|---|
| Maths | Strict comparison: x < 5 means x stops before 5; add the bar for ≤ when 5 itself is allowed |
| Programming | The loop-and-test workhorse: for (i = 0; i < 10; i++) runs while i stays under 10; <= is its or-equal sibling |
| HTML | < OPENS every tag — which is why a literal less-than in text must be escaped as < or the browser eats it as code |
| Everyday text | Shorthand for “under / below”: “<3” is also the sideways heart of early chat — context decides which < you are reading |
Typing it
One key: Shift + , (comma) on US/UK layouts gives <, and Shift + . gives its partner >. In HTML the sign must be written < to display. Its or-equal form ≤ has no keyboard key: copy it here, or in Word type 2264 then Alt + X (HTML ≤).
Explore more
The pair is taught together on the greater than symbol page — open-side rule, both directions, one table — and the full operator family lives on the math symbols hub. When equality is allowed too, the dedicated page is the less than or equal symbol.
Frequently asked questions
How do I remember < vs >?
< looks like a tilted L — L for Less. And the point always touches the smaller number: 3 < 8 points at the 3.
What is the difference between < and ≤?
< excludes the endpoint (x < 5 never includes 5); ≤ includes it (x ≤ 5 allows 5). The small bar underneath is the entire difference.
Why does my < disappear in HTML?
Because the browser reads it as the start of a tag. Write < wherever a visible less-than sign belongs in page text.
What does <3 mean in chats?
A heart, tipped sideways: <3 is the text-era emoticon for love, still common in gaming and fan spaces.
Is “fewer than” different from “less than”?
In grammar, yes (fewer for countable things, less for quantities); in maths the sign serves both, and searches for the fewer-than sign land here — the symbol is the same <.