Do Backwards 3 and Reversed 3 refer to the same thing?

Whether it is a reversed 3, a flipped 3, a 3 mirrored, or an inverted 3, all of these names represent a backwards 3 that is flipped horizontally and looks like this “Ɛ”.

Do Backwards 3 and Reversed 3 refer to the same thing?

A short and clear answer?

Yes, a backwards 3 and a reversed 3 do refer to the same thing a Ɛ symbol. 

If you are a typing lover or a graphic designer, and even if you are just another social media user, you might have seen a backwards 3 more than one time.

The reversed 3 symbol, also known as epsilon lowercase (Ɛ), is a symbol that looks the same as a backward "3". It is used in many areas of life across various fields.

However, in mathematics, particularly calculus and electromagnetism, it represents the epsilon constant (ε₀), a fundamental constant expressing the permittivity of free space.

While in computer science, it can be used to denote specific functions or variables depending on the programming language being used.

The epsilon symbol is also found in linguistics, being used in some phonetic alphabets for representing specific sounds.

Nevertheless, it should be kept in mind that reversed-3 characters that look the same can have different meanings, especially in typography and mathematics when the context is different. Lunate and reversed-3 variants are stylistic decisions made by standard font designers. 

On the contrary, computer systems, and mathematical notation such as TeX, employ dissimilar codings to distinguish between the two forms. For instance, in TeX, "\epsilon" results in the lunate form (ϵ), while "\varepsilon" gives the reversed-3 form (ε). This difference maintains the clarity of expression and it also eliminates the mixed idea of varied mathematical notions. 

People use it for various purposes such as:

  • For making a heart shape (love sign) on social media
  • To showcase something in a backward order on a graphic
  • And also in mathematics for various scenarios

Overall, mostly it is being used on social media to give a lovely emoji-style comment to something that you love to read or watch.

If you are fascinated with this backwards 3 thing, you can type it on your mobile or PC to share with your friends too.

Yes, you don’t have to worry about knowing how to type a backward 3, as you can just copy it from here “Ɛ” and then paste it wherever you want to type it.

Remember again, both the reversed 3 and the backward 3 mean the same thing and are just two names for Ɛ symbol.