Introduction
Knowing the names of punctuation marks and special characters is essential for reading technical documentation, following instructions, and communicating about code or writing. This guide covers every common symbol with its name, usage, and examples.
Basic Punctuation
| Symbol | Name | Usage |
|---|---|---|
. |
period / full stop | End of a sentence (American: period; British: full stop) |
, |
comma | Separating items, clauses, pauses |
: |
colon | Introducing a list, explanation, or quotation |
; |
semicolon | Joining related independent clauses |
! |
exclamation point / exclamation mark | Emphasis, surprise, strong emotion |
? |
question mark | End of a direct question |
' |
apostrophe | Possession (John’s), contractions (don’t) |
" |
quotation marks / double quotes | Direct speech, titles |
' |
single quote | Quotes within quotes, some titles |
- |
hyphen | Joining compound words (well-known, e-mail) |
โ |
em dash | Interruption, emphasis, parenthetical remark |
โ |
en dash | Ranges (pages 10โ20, 2020โ2026) |
... |
ellipsis | Omission, trailing off, pause |
Brackets and Enclosures
| Symbol | Name | Usage |
|---|---|---|
() |
parentheses / round brackets | Additional information, asides |
[] |
brackets / square brackets | Editorial additions, code arrays |
{} |
braces / curly brackets | Sets in math, code blocks |
<> |
angle brackets / chevrons | HTML tags, generics in code |
British vs American terminology:
American: parentheses () brackets [] braces {}
British: brackets () square brackets [] curly brackets {}
Mathematical and Technical Symbols
| Symbol | Name | Usage |
|---|---|---|
+ |
plus sign | Addition |
- |
minus sign / hyphen | Subtraction, hyphenation |
* |
asterisk / star | Multiplication, footnotes, wildcards |
/ |
slash / forward slash | Division, fractions, URLs, “or” |
\ |
backslash | File paths (Windows), escape characters |
= |
equals sign | Equality, assignment in code |
% |
percent sign | Percentage |
# |
hash / number sign / pound sign / octothorpe | Numbers, social media hashtags, code comments |
@ |
at sign | Email addresses, social media handles |
& |
ampersand | “and” (especially in company names) |
^ |
caret / circumflex | Exponentiation in code, superscript |
~ |
tilde | Approximation (~100), home directory in Unix |
| ` | ` | pipe / vertical bar |
_ |
underscore | Variable names in code, spaces in filenames |
$ |
dollar sign | Currency, variables in shell scripts |
` |
backtick / grave accent | Code in Markdown, command substitution in shell |
Detailed Usage Guide
Comma ,
The comma is the most frequently misused punctuation mark:
List: I need eggs, milk, bread, and butter.
Clause: Although it was raining, we went outside.
Appositive: My brother, a doctor, lives in London.
Direct address: John, can you help me?
Numbers: 1,000,000 (one million)
Colon :
Before a list: I need three things: patience, practice, and persistence.
Before explanation: There's one problem: we're out of time.
Time: The meeting is at 9:30.
Ratio: The ratio is 3:1.
Semicolon ;
Joining clauses: I love coffee; my sister prefers tea.
Complex lists: We visited Paris, France; Rome, Italy; and Madrid, Spain.
Apostrophe '
Possession: John's book, the company's policy, the children's toys
Contractions: don't (do not), it's (it is), I'm (I am), they're (they are)
NOT for plurals: โ apple's for sale โ apples for sale
Hyphen - vs Em Dash โ vs En Dash โ
Hyphen (-): compound words (well-known, e-mail, twenty-one)
En dash (โ): ranges (pages 10โ20, MondayโFriday, 2020โ2026)
Em dash (โ): interruption or emphasis (She wasโfinallyโready.)
Ellipsis ...
Omission: "To be or not to be... that is the question."
Trailing off: "I'm not sure if I should..."
Pause: "Well... I suppose so."
Special Characters in Technology
| Symbol | Name | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
@ |
at sign | email ([email protected]), Twitter handles (@username) |
# |
hash / hashtag | Twitter/Instagram (#topic), code comments |
* |
asterisk | Wildcard (*.txt), footnotes, emphasis in Markdown |
_ |
underscore | variable_names, file_names, _private in Python |
` |
backtick | code in Markdown, shell command substitution |
~ |
tilde | ~/home in Unix, ~= approximately |
| ` | ` | pipe |
\ |
backslash | C:\Users\name in Windows, escape character |
{} |
curly braces | {code blocks}, template variables |
[] |
square brackets | array[0], links in Markdown |
<> |
angle brackets | <html>, generics in Java/TypeScript |
How to Type Special Characters
On a Standard Keyboard
@ = Shift + 2 (US keyboard)
# = Shift + 3
$ = Shift + 4
% = Shift + 5
^ = Shift + 6
& = Shift + 7
* = Shift + 8
( = Shift + 9
) = Shift + 0
_ = Shift + -
+ = Shift + =
{ = Shift + [
} = Shift + ]
| = Shift + \
: = Shift + ;
" = Shift + '
< = Shift + ,
> = Shift + .
? = Shift + /
~ = Shift + `
Em Dash and En Dash
Em dash (โ):
Mac: Option + Shift + -
Windows: Alt + 0151 (numpad)
HTML: —
En dash (โ):
Mac: Option + -
Windows: Alt + 0150 (numpad)
HTML: –
Pronunciation Guide
When reading aloud or dictating:
. "period" or "dot" (in URLs: "dot")
, "comma"
: "colon"
; "semicolon"
! "exclamation mark" or "bang" (in code)
? "question mark"
@ "at"
# "hash" or "pound" or "hashtag"
& "ampersand" or "and"
* "asterisk" or "star"
/ "slash" or "forward slash"
\ "backslash"
| "pipe" or "vertical bar"
~ "tilde"
^ "caret" or "hat"
_ "underscore"
` "backtick" or "grave"
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