The web's most comprehensive guide to American punctuation.

The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. Depending on the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons ⁠—in each case to slightly different effect.

Semicolon The semicolon is sometimes described as stronger than a comma but weaker than a period. In certain uses, this is a reasonably accurate definition. Yet there is more to the semicolon than that. …

Slash The slash ( / ), also known as the virgule, has several uses, most of which should be avoided in formal writing. Never use a backslash ( \ ) in place of a slash. Poetry The one inarguably acceptable …

En dash The en dash (–) is slightly wider than the hyphen (-) but narrower than the em dash (—). The typical computer keyboard lacks a dedicated key for the en dash, though most word processors …

Example Punctuation Quarterly 4:86–89 Explanation: This reads as “pages 86 through 89 of volume four.”

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Quotations This section includes three punctuation marks most commonly used for quotations. All three marks have uses outside of quotations, as well. Quotation marks Ellipses Brackets

This section briefly explains the role of style in matters of punctuation, and it compares the two major style guides in the United States: The Chicago Manual of Style and The Associated Press Stylebook.

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