Dashes and hyphens: what is the difference?
A hyphen joins words; a dash separates parts of a sentence or marks a range. Learn the difference between dashes and hyphens, with examples of each.
Online-Spellcheck Blog
Punctuation
Punctuation rules with examples: commas, colons, semicolons, hyphens, apostrophes, quotation marks, and capital letters.
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Plurals with apostrophes: is an apostrophe allowed to form a plural?
As a rule, an apostrophe never makes a plural, but there are exceptions. Learn when plurals with apostrophes are allowed: letters, abbreviations, and decades.
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The history of punctuation: how people began to use it
Early writing had no punctuation, no spaces, and no lowercase letters. Learn the history of punctuation, from the dots of old Alexandria to the modern comma.
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Punctuation rules: a quick guide to the main punctuation marks
Punctuation rules at a glance: what the period, comma, colon, semicolon, apostrophe, dashes, brackets, and the other marks do, with a full guide to each.
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All you need to know about the hyphen
The hyphen links words that belong together and joins some prefixes and suffixes. Learn the hyphen rules for compounds, numbers, ages, prefixes, and suffixes.
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Brackets: what's the difference between them all?
Learn the difference between the four kinds of brackets: parentheses, square brackets, curly braces, and angle brackets, and when to use each one in writing.
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How to use a colon: all you need to know
Learn how to use a colon before a list, a quotation, or an explanation, and after a formal salutation, when not to use one, and what to capitalize after it.
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How to use the exclamation point correctly
Learn how to use the exclamation point: what it expresses, where it goes, why too many weaken your writing, and how the inverted exclamation point works.
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The period: the punctuation mark that ends a sentence
The period, or full stop, ends every sentence that makes a statement. Learn its rules, how it works with abbreviations, and when another mark ends a sentence.
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What you need to know about the slash (/)
The slash separates dates, lines of poetry, alternatives, and parts of a web address. Learn when to use the slash and what to write instead in formal text.
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Do punctuation marks go inside or outside quotation marks?
Do periods and commas go inside or outside quotation marks? Learn the American and British rules, and where colons and question marks go, with examples.
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The secret of quotation marks: how to use them correctly
Learn how to use quotation marks for direct speech, quotes, titles of short works, and words used in an unusual sense, and where commas and periods go.
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How to use the question mark: rules and examples
A question mark ends a direct question. Learn when to use the question mark and when not to, where it goes with quotation marks, and how Spanish uses it.
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6 important rules for comma usage, with examples
Learn 6 important rules for comma usage: lists and the Oxford comma, adjectives, contrast, introductory phrases, and two clauses joined by and, but, or so.
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En dash and em dash: all you need to know
The en dash marks ranges, scores, and connections; the em dash sets off an aside or a break. Learn when to use each dash and how to type it.
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What's an ellipsis and how do you use it?
An ellipsis is three dots that mark something left out. Learn how to space it, how to shorten a quotation with it, and how it shows hesitation or silence.
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How to use apostrophes correctly
Learn how to use apostrophes correctly: possessives, words that end in s, plurals, compound nouns, contractions, and the pronouns that never take one.
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How to use a semicolon correctly, with examples
A semicolon joins two closely related sentences and separates list items that already contain commas. Learn how to use a semicolon, and when not to.
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Correct comma usage: 8 rules, with examples
Correct comma usage follows clear rules. Learn 8 of them with examples: lists, extra information, appositives, interruptions, direct address, and question tags.
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The rules for italics: when to use italic type
Learn the rules for italics: which titles to italicize, how to mark words used as words, when italics add emphasis, and why ships and foreign words take them.
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Rules of capitalization: when to use a capital letter
Learn the rules of capitalization in English: sentences, names, days, languages, titles, and quotations, and why a spell checker cannot catch every case.
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Trouble with commas? 17 comma rules, with examples
Commas are small but tricky. Learn the main comma rules in English: the dos and don'ts, and 17 rules with examples, from lists and clauses to dates and numbers.