What ᱅ means
It is the Lepcha sign for five. The Lepcha number system is described with a twenty-based pattern alongside decimal notation used in Sikkim. In decimal forms, ᱁᱅ means 15, ᱂᱅ means 25, and ᱅᱀ means 50.
The Lepcha script took shape around 1720 through revision of an older script derived from Tibetan. Its way of writing consonants at syllable ends is also compared with the Kirat and Limbu scripts; that structural similarity does not show this digit was borrowed from them. A Cambridge catalog lists Lepcha alphabet and writing-practice manuscripts dated 1846.
A straightforward number sign in Lepcha writing.
Use it where Lepcha numerals are expected; outside that setting, a reader may not recognize it as five.
Don't confuse it with
4Combination ideas
3Worth knowing
- As of 2023-24, Sikkim's senior-secondary syllabus describes Lepcha as an official language taught from primary school through university.
Questions people ask
2Why is ᱅ showing as a box?
The font may not contain this glyph. As of 2026, SIL's Mingzat font covers the full Lepcha block; surrounding text also needs OpenType shaping, the font rules that position script characters correctly.
Can ᱅ replace the Latin 5?
Only in Lepcha numeral writing. Both denote five, but ᱅ belongs to Lepcha script; it is not the Latin digit used in general text.
How to type ᱅
᱅\1C45Codes and encoding1 code points
A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.