What ໔ means
Read it as the number four.
The Fak Kham script, a regional writing system used in northern Thailand and Laos, is considered a precursor to Lao writing. The secular Lao script later developed a distinct form called Tai Noi, also known as Lao Buhan; Buddhist manuscripts also used a separate script called Tham. A stele at Tha Khaek, dated 1494, is an early record of Lao writing, but it does not date ໔ itself.
Don't confuse it with
2Questions people ask
1Why does ໔ show as a box on some devices?
Because that device's fonts have no glyph for it. The character is still correct and still copies correctly — the box is a missing glyph, not a broken character.
How to type ໔
Windows (Word)
Alt+XType 0ED4, then Alt+X to get ໔.
Windows
Win+Rrun charmap for the full table, or use the emoji picker's Ω symbols tab (Win + .).
macOS
Control+Command+SpaceOpen the character viewer and search “lao digit four”.
Linux
Ctrl+Shift+UType 0ed4, then Enter or Space.
HTML
໔CSS
\0ED4Standard Lao typewriter layout
As of 2026, Caps Lock + 4 on the top number row produces ໔; number-pad 4 remains ASCII.
Codes and encoding1 code points
HTML decimal
໔
HTML hex
໔
CSS content
content: "\0ED4";
Each escape is closed by the next backslash; a trailing space is needed before a literal hex digit.
URL encoded
%E0%BB%94
1
On screen
1
Code points
1
JS .length
3
UTF-8 bytes
A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.