Linguistics - Punctuation

Here you will learn some English words related to punctuation such as "apostrophe", "colon", and "ellipsis".

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Linguistics

the symbol & used in writing to signify the word 'and'

Ex: The bookstore 's sign prominently displays an ampersand to connect the two main genres it specializes in .

the symbol ' used in writing to show possession or omission of letters or numbers

Ex: The apostrophe in " it 's " distinguishes it from " its , " which is possessive .
asterisk [noun]

the symbol * used in writing or printing to show that there is more information about something in the footnote or as an indication of importance or omission

the symbol (\), used in some computer commands

brace [noun]

either of the two symbols { } used especially in mathematics or computing to show that the items within are connected together

bracket [noun]

each of the two symbols [ ] used to indicate that the enclosed numbers or words should be considered separately

Ex:

a symbol (•) or short statement used to list or highlight individual items in text

Ex: She organized her notes into clear bullet points .
colon [noun]

the punctuation mark : used to introduce a quotation, explanation, or list of items

Ex: To correctly format the citation , use a colon to introduce the quotation : ' To be , or not to be , that is the question . '
comma [noun]

the mark , used to separate items in a list or indicate a pause in a sentence

Ex: The comma in the address helped avoid confusion when sending the letter .
dash [noun]

the punctuation mark - used in writing to separate parts of a sentence, instead of a colon or brackets

ditto [noun]

the symbol〃used under a word in a list to show that it is repeated and to avoid writing it down again

dot [noun]

a small, round mark or spot

Ex: The painter added a final dot of white paint to complete the artwork .
hyphen [noun]

a small line used to connect words or parts of words

Ex: When writing out fractions , a hyphen is often used to separate the numerator from the denominator , as in ' three-fourths .
mark [noun]

a symbol in writing or print used to signify something

Ex:
period [noun]

the symbol (.) used to end a declarative sentence or mark an abbreviation

Ex: The teacher explained how a period is different from a comma .

either of the symbols ( ) used in writing to enclose extra information that is given or to group a symbolic unit in logic or mathematics

Ex: She included a joke in parenthesis at the end of her email ( just to lighten the mood ) .
point [noun]

the punctuation mark . used to indicate that a sentence or an abbreviation is ended

Ex: He always double-checks that every sentence ends with a point .

the symbol £ used in writing or printing to represent the British unit of currency

any mark such as a period, comma, brackets, etc., used in writing to divide phrases and sentences and to make them clearly understood

the mark ? used at the end of a sentence to show that it is a question

Ex: In text messages , people often use a question mark to express curiosity or uncertainty .

either of the symbols " " or ' ' used before and after a word or words to indicate the beginning and the end of a title or quoted remark, or to mark a jargon

Ex:
quote [noun]

(plural) another way of saying quotation marks

Ex: When writing academic papers , it 's important to cite sources correctly with quotes around the borrowed text .

the punctuation mark ; used to separate the items in a list or to indicate a pause between two main clauses in a compound sentence

Ex: When writing academic papers , a semicolon is often used to link ideas that are related but could stand as separate sentences .
slash [noun]

the symbol / used in print or writing to indicate alternatives or fractions, etc.

Ex: In the abbreviation " and/or , " the slash indicates that either " and " or " or " can be used .

the use of hyphens to connect syllables or words together for clarity or to form compound words

a punctuation symbol used to indicate additional information or a footnote reference in written text

a typographical symbol (∙) used primarily in mathematics and technical notation to represent a binary operation such as multiplication

Ex: The programming language uses the bullet operator as a symbol for a specific function call .

a typographical symbol used to indicate a specific section or division within a document, often used in legal or academic contexts to reference a particular part or topic

a single typographical symbol, either the opening or closing angle quotation mark (« or ») used in various languages to indicate quotations or enclose text with a special meaning

ampersat [noun]

the symbol @, that is used in email addresses and other forms of electronic communication

a small, V-shaped symbol often used in mathematics and computer programming to indicate exponentiation, bitwise XOR operations, or to mark insertions or corrections in text

a punctuation mark that consists of a small dot used to separate or clarify elements within a sentence, such as in decimal numbers, abbreviations, or to indicate word boundaries in some languages

ellipsis [noun]

a punctuation mark consisting of three dots that indicates the omission of words or a pause in speech, often used to create suspense, indicate trailing off, or show incomplete thoughts in writing

emoticon [noun]

a sign formed by keyboard characters to show the tone of a message or its sender's facial expression, used on social media or in text messages

Ex: He used a sad emoticon to express sympathy for his friend 's situation .

a punctuation mark that combines the question mark and exclamation mark, used to express a mixture of surprise and inquiry, or to convey a rhetorical question with emphasis

en dash [noun]

a punctuation mark that is slightly longer than a hyphen (-) and is used to indicate a range or connection between two elements, such as dates, times, or numbers, it is also used to show contrast or connection between words or phrases

em dash [noun]

a punctuation mark that is longer than both a hyphen (-) and an en dash (–)

a punctuation mark used to set off nonessential or supplementary information within a sentence, indicating a slight pause or separation of the parenthetical element from the rest of the sentence

a comma used before the conjunction, usually "and" or "or", in a list of three or more items, providing clarity and avoiding ambiguity

a punctuation mark consisting of two parallel horizontal lines used to enclose quoted or cited material

a punctuation mark consisting of a curved or slanted line used to enclose quoted or cited material within a larger quotation or to indicate a word or phrase as being ironic, unconventional, or used in a specialized sense

dagger [noun]

a typographical symbol (†) used to indicate a footnote, annotation, or cross-reference in printed text

Ex: The dictionary entry included a dagger for additional information .

the mark ! used after a sentence to indicate excitement, surprise, etc.

Ex: The teacher explained that using too many exclamation points can make writing seem overly dramatic .
pilcrow [noun]

a typographical symbol that resembles a backward-facing "P" (¶)