Editing Encyclopedia:Manual of Style (section)

==Punctuation==
{{Shortcut|MOS:PUNCT}}
{{For|a brief guide to how some punctuation marks are used in Wikipedia for special purposes, e.g., [[Help:List#List basics|description lists]]|Help:Punctuation}}

===Apostrophes<span class="anchor" id="Foreign characters that resemble apostrophes"></span>===
{{Shortcut|MOS:'|MOS:APOSTROPHE}}

*Use [[straight apostrophe]]s ({{big|{{mxt|'}}}}), not [[curly apostrophe]]s ({{big|{{!mxt|’}}}}).{{efn|name=curlyq}} Do not use accent marks or [[backtick]]s ({{big|{{!mxt|`}}}}) as apostrophes.
*Templates such as {{tlx|`}} and {{tlx|`s}} are helpful when an apostrophe (or single quote) appears at the beginning or end of text in italics or bold, because italics and bold are themselves indicated by sequences of single quotes.
**When an apostrophe follows italicized text, {{tlx|'}} or {{tlx|'s}} can be used to additionally prevent the last letter of the right-leaning text from intersecting the apostrophe. Example: {{xt|the ''Iliad''{{'s}} themes}} (markup: {{nobreak|<code><nowiki>the ''Iliad''{{'s}} themes</nowiki></code>}}).
*Letters resembling apostrophes and curly quotes, such as the [[{{okina}}okina]] ({{mxt|{{okina}}}}{{snd}}inserted using {{tlx|okina}}), [[Saltillo (linguistics)|saltillo]] ({{mxt|{{saltillo}}}}{{snd}}{{tlx|saltillo}}), Hebrew [[ayin]] or Arabic ʿayn ({{mxt|{{ayin}}}}{{snd}}{{tlx|ayin}}), and Arabic [[hamza]] ({{mxt|{{hamza}}}}{{snd}}{{tlx|hamza}}), should be represented by those templates or by their respective [[Unicode]] characters.
**Templates cannot be used in article titles; use the corresponding Unicode character directly. Per [[WP:TITLESPECIALCHARACTERS]], also make a redirect from the ASCII form to aid searches. Forms without apostrophe-like characters are sometimes preferred by [[WP:COMMONNAME]] (e.g. [[Hawaii]] but not [[Keali{{okina}}i Reichel]]). 
*:{{crossref|pw=y|See also {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Hawaii-related articles|Orthography, spelling and formatting}}}}
*For [[Wade–Giles]] romanizations of Mandarin Chinese, use {{tlx|wg-apos}}.
*For languages with [[ejective consonants]] and the like, use {{tlx|hamza}}.
*For the Cyrillic [[soft sign]], when indicated at all, use {{tlx|softsign}} or {{tlx|hamza}}.
*For usage of the possessive apostrophe, see {{section link||Possessives}}.
*For further treatment of apostrophe usage (possessive, elision, formation of certain plurals, non-English language issues), see the article [[Apostrophe]].

===Quotation marks===
{{Shortcut|MOS:QUOTEMARKS|MOS:SPEECHMARKS|MOS:"}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Quotations}}

In the material below, the term ''quotation'' includes conventional uses of quotation marks such as for titles of songs, chapters, episodes, and so on. Quotation marks are also used in other contexts, such as in [[#Animals, plants, and other organisms|cultivar names]].

====Quotation characters====
{{Shortcut|MOS:CURLY|MOS:CQ|MOS:STRAIGHT}}
*Use {{xt|{{big|<b>"</b>}}straight{{big|<b>"</b>}}}} quotation marks, not {{!xt|{{big|<b>“</b>}}curly{{big|<b>”</b>}}}} ones. (For single-apostrophe quotes: {{xt|{{big|<b>'</b>}}straight{{big|<b>'</b>}}}}, not {{!xt|{{big|<b>‘</b>}}curly{{big|<b>’</b>}}}}.){{efn|name=curlyq}}
*Do not use accent marks, backticks ({{!xt|{{big|'''`'''}}text{{big|'''´'''}}}}), low-high ({{!xt|„&nbsp;“}}), corner brackets ({{!xt|「&nbsp;」}}), or [[guillemet]] ({{!xt|«&nbsp;»}}) marks as quotation marks (except when such marks are {{em|internal}} to quoted non-English text{{snd}}see {{slink||Typographic conformity}}). The symbols {{!xt|′}} and {{!xt|″}} seen in edit window dropdowns are [[prime (symbol)|prime]] and double prime: these are used to designate [[Minute and second of arc|units of angular measurement]], and not as apostrophes or quote marks.
*Quotation marks and apostrophes in imported material [[#Typographic conformity|should be changed]] if necessary to comply with the above.

====Double or single<span id="Double or single quotation marks"></span><span id="Single quotation marks"></span>====
{{Shortcut|MOS:DOUBLE|MOS:SINGLE|MOS:SIMPLEGLOSS}}

Most quotations take double quotation marks ({{xt|Bob said: "Jim ate the apple."}}).{{efn|1=Double quotation marks are preferred to single because they are immediately distinguishable from apostrophes:
*{{!xt|She wrote that 'Cleanthes' differs from the others', but neither opinion may represent Hume's'}} (slows the reader down).
*{{xt|She wrote that "Cleanthes' differs from the others', but neither opinion may represent Hume's"}} (clearer).
}}
Exceptions:
*Plant cultivars take single quotation marks ({{xt|''Malus domestica'' 'Golden Delicious'}}; see [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (flora)]]).
*[[Gloss (annotation)#In linguistics|Glosses]] that translate or define unfamiliar terms take single quotes; simple glosses require no comma before the definition ({{xt|Turkic {{lang|trk|qazaq}} 'freebooter' is the root of ''Cossack''; ''republic'' comes from Latin {{lang|la|res publica}}, loosely meaning 'public affair'.}}). The {{tl|Gloss}} template can be used for this; e.g. {{tlx|lang|es|casa}} {{tlx|gloss|house}} yields: {{lang|es|casa}} {{gloss|house}}.

====For a quotation within a quotation====
{{Shortcut|MOS:QWQ|MOS:QINQ}}

Use single quotes:
*{{xt|Darwin wrote in his introduction that "the maxim 'de minimis lex non curat' does not apply to science".}}
For deeper nesting, alternate between single and double quotes:
*{{xt|He said, "That book asserts, 'Confucius said "Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.{{" ' "}}}}

For quote marks in immediate succession, add a sliver of space by using {{nowrap|{{tl|" '}}}}, {{nowrap|{{tl|' "}}}}, or (as in the example just given) {{nowrap|{{tl|" ' "}}}}:
*{{xt|He announced, "The answer was 'Yes!{{' "}}}} Markup: <code>He announced, "The answer was 'Yes!{{tl|' "}}</code>
*{{!xt|He announced, "The answer was 'Yes!'"}} (simply jamming things together looks awful in most fonts)
*{{!xt|He announced, "The answer was 'Yes!'{{nbsp}}"}} (a regular space is too much)

====Article openings<span id="Quotation marks in article openings"></span>====
{{Shortcut|MOS:BOLDQUOTE}}
In the bolded text typically appearing at the opening of an article:
*Any quotation marks that are part of the title should be in bold just like the rest of the title.
**From ''[["A" Is for Alibi]]'': {{xt|'''''"A" Is for Alibi''''' is a mystery novel&nbsp;...}}
*Quotation marks ''not'' part of the article title should not be bolded.
**From [[Jabberwocky]]: {{xt|"'''Jabberwocky'''" is a nonsense poem&nbsp;...}}
**From [[Babe Ruth]]: {{xt|'''George Herman''' "'''Babe'''" '''Ruth''' was an American baseball player&nbsp;...}} {{crossref|pw=y|(See also {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Biography|Nicknames}}.)}}

====Punctuation before quotations====
{{Shortcut|MOS:QUOTEPUNCT}}
If a non-quoted but otherwise identical construction would work grammatically without a comma, using a comma before a quotation embedded within a sentence is optional:
*{{xt|The report stated "There was a 45% reduction in transmission rate."}} ([[wikt:cf.|Cf.]] the non-quotation {{xt|The report stated there was a 45% reduction in transmission rate.}})
*{{xt|The report stated, "There was a 45% reduction in transmission rate."}}
The comma-free approach is often used with partial quotations:
*{{xt|The report observed "a 45% reduction in transmission rate".}}
A comma is required when it would be present in the same construction if none of the material were a quotation:
*{{xt|In Margaret Mead's view, "we must recognize the whole gamut of human potentialities" to enrich our culture.}}
Do not insert a comma if it would confuse or alter the meaning:
*{{xt|Caitlyn Jenner expressed concerns about children "who are coming to terms with being true to who they are".}} (Accurate quote of a statement about {{em|some}} children{{snd}}specifically those children "who are coming to terms{{nbsp}}...")
*{{!xt|Caitlyn Jenner expressed concerns about children, "who are coming to terms with being true to who they are".}} (Changes the meaning to imply Jenner was expressing concern about {{em|all}} children, while separately observing that children, in general, "are coming to terms{{nbsp}}...")
It is clearer to use a colon to introduce a quotation if it forms a complete sentence, and this should always be done for multi-sentence quotations:
*{{xt|The report stated: "There was a 45% reduction in transmission rate."}}
*{{xt|In a letter to his son, Albert Einstein wrote: "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."}}
No additional punctuation is necessary for an explicit [[#Words as words|words-as-words]] scenario:
*{{xt|The message was unintelligible except for the fragments "help soon" and "how much longer before".}}

====Names and titles<span class="anchor" id="Quotation marks-Titles"></span><span id="Quotation marks with names and titles"></span>====
{{/titles hatnote include|where=MOS#P-QM-N&T}}

Quotation marks should be used for the following names and titles:
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
*Articles and chapters (books and periodicals italicized)
*Short stories (books and periodicals italicized)
*Sections of musical pieces (pieces italicized)
*Individual strips from comics and webcomics (comics italicized)
*Poems (long or epic poems italicized)
*Songs (albums, song cycles, operas, operettas, and oratorios italicized)
*Individual episodes of television and radio series and [[Serial (radio and television)|serials]] (series title italicized){{efn|1="Series title italicized" is using ''series'' to mean the entire show as a whole. A season (also called a ''series'' in British English) with its own title uses quotation marks for that title, as a sub-work.}}
}}

{{em|Correct:}} {{xt|The Beatles wrote "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" for their album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''.}}

Do not use quotation marks or italics for:
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
*Ancient writings
*Concert tours
*Locations
*Myths and epics
*Prayers
}}

Many, but not all, of the above items should also be in [[#Titles of works|title case]].

====Punctuation inside or outside<span class="anchor" id="LP"></span><span class="anchor" id="LQ"></span><span class="anchor" id="TQ"></span><span class="anchor" id="logical quotes"></span><span id="Punctuation inside or outside quotation marks"></span>====
{{Shortcut|MOS:LQ|MOS:LQUOTE|MOS:INOROUT|MOS:LOGICAL}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:Logical quotation on Wikipedia}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Effect on nearby punctuation|label 1=Wikipedia:Manual of Style § Italics: Effect on nearby punctuation}}<!-- Another kind of punctuation "in or out". -->

<!-- EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: Changes to this section may escalate into heated dispute. Please consider raising any proposed changes for discussion and consensus-building on the talk page before editing. -->
Use the [[Quotation marks in English#British practice|logical quotation]] style in all articles, regardless of the variety of English in which they are written. Include terminal punctuation within the quotation marks only if it was present in the original material, and otherwise place it after the closing quotation mark. For the most part, this means treating periods and commas in the same way as question marks: keep them inside the quotation marks if they apply only to the quoted material and outside if they apply to the whole sentence. Examples are given below.
*{{em|Correct:}} {{xt|Did Darla say, "Here I am"?}} (question mark applies to whole sentence)
*{{em|Incorrect:}} {{!xt|Did Darla say, "Here I am?"}} (incorrect to apply the question mark to the quotation)
*{{em|Correct:}} {{xt|Darla said, "Where am I?"}} (question mark applies to quoted material only)

If the quotation is a single word or a sentence fragment, place the terminal punctuation outside the closing quotation mark. When quoting a full sentence, the end of which coincides with the end of the sentence containing it, place terminal punctuation inside the closing quotation mark.
*{{xt|Miller wanted, he said, "to create something timeless".}}
*{{xt|Miller said: "I wanted to create something timeless."}}

If the quoted sentence is followed by a [[clause]] that should be preceded by a comma, omit the [[full stop]] (period), and do not replace it with a comma {{em|inside}} the quotation.{{efn|This is the principal way in which logical quotation differs from typical British news punctuation practice, in which many publishers permit such a change to the quoted material, which is antithetical to the accuracy purpose of logical punctuation.}} Other terminal punctuation, such as a question mark or exclamation mark, may be retained.
*{{xt|Livingston then said, "It is done", and turned to the people.}}
*{{xt|Livingston then exclaimed, "It is done!", and turned to the people.}}

If the quoted sentence is followed by a clause identifying the speaker, use a comma outside the quotation mark instead of a full stop inside it, but retain any other terminal punctuation, such as a question mark.
*{{xt|"There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet", said Kennedy.}}
*{{xt|By asking "Who are you?", da Gama prompts Adamastor to tell his story.}}

Do not follow quoted words or fragments with commas inside the quotation marks, except where a longer quotation has been broken up and the comma is part of the full quotation.
*{{em|Correct:}} {{xt|"I began to change, opening the way to confidence and courage", said Turner.}}
*{{em|Correct:}} {{xt|"I began to change," said Turner, "opening the way to confidence and courage."}}
*{{em|Correct:}} {{xt|"I began to change, opening the way", said Turner, "to confidence and courage."}}
*{{em|Incorrect:}} {{!xt|"I began to change, opening the way," said Turner, "to confidence and courage."}}

==== Quotation marks and external links ====
External links to article titles should have the title in quotes inside the link. The [[Help:Citation Style 1|CS1]] and [[Help:Citation Style 2|CS2]] citation templates do this automatically, and untemplated references should do the same.

*{{em|Correct:}} {{xt|{{cite news |last1=Kiefer |first1=Francine |title=Clinton: The Early Years |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1998/0529/052998.us.us.3.html |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |date=May 29, 1998 |ref=none}}}} (Using {{tl|cite news}})
*{{em|Correct:}} {{xt| Kiefer, Francine (May 29, 1998). [https://www.csmonitor.com/1998/0529/052998.us.us.3.html "Clinton: The Early Years"]. ''[[The Christian Science Monitor]]''.}} (Untemplated)
*{{em|Incorrect:}} {{!xt| Kiefer, Francine (May 29, 1998). "[https://www.csmonitor.com/1998/0529/052998.us.us.3.html Clinton: The Early Years]". ''[[The Christian Science Monitor]]''.}}  (Untemplated)

==== Quotation marks and internal links ====
Internal links (wikilinks) accompanied by quotation marks should usually have the quotes outside the link. This applies to titles of works in quotation marks (songs, episodes, etc.)
*{{em|Correct:}} {{xt|Play it, Sam. Play "[[As Time Goes By (song)|As Time Goes By]]".}}  (Using <code><nowiki>"[[ ]]"</nowiki></code>.)
*{{em|Incorrect:}} {{!xt|Play it, Sam. Play [[As Time Goes By (song)|"As Time Goes By"]].}} (Using <code><nowiki>[[" "]]</nowiki></code>.)
However, quotation marks are needed inside wikilinks when the quotation mark is part of the link, or where the linked display text includes quotation marks indicating slang, nicknames, common names, or similar usage.
*{{em|Correct:}} {{xt|The term ''soccer'' comes from [[Oxford "-er"]] slang, which was prevalent at the [[University of Oxford]] in England from about 1875...}}
*{{em|Correct:}} {{xt|A Cockney accent [[Rhoticity in English|drops the "r"]] after a vowel.}}
*{{em|Correct:}} {{xt|The [[Dynamo Sports Club|Proletarian Sports Society "Dynamo"]] was established in Moscow in 1923.}}
*{{em|Correct:}} {{xt|President Suharto's [[New Order (Indonesia)|"New Order"]] administration received US support for its economic policies.}}
*{{em|Correct:}} {{xt|Japan's [[Lost Decades|"Lost Decades"]] began in 1991.}}

===Brackets and parentheses===
{{Shortcut|MOS:B&P|MOS:BRACKET|MOS:PAREN}}
{{Redirect|MOS:PAREN|use of parentheses (round brackets) in article titles|WP:Article titles#Parenthetical disambiguation|deprecated inline parenthetical citations|WP:Citing sources#Parenthetical referencing}}
This section applies to both round brackets {{xt|(&nbsp;)}}, often called [[Bracket|parentheses]], and square brackets {{xt|[&nbsp;]}}.

If a sentence contains a bracketed phrase, place the sentence punctuation outside the brackets {{xt|(as shown here).}} However, where one or more sentences are wholly inside brackets, place their punctuation inside the brackets. There should be no space next to the inner side of a bracket. An opening bracket should usually be preceded by a space. This may not be the case if it is preceded by an opening quotation mark, another opening bracket, or a portion of a word:
*{{xt|He rose to address the meeting: "(Ahem)&nbsp;... Ladies and gentlemen, welcome!"}}
*{{xt|Only the royal characters in the play ([Prince] Hamlet and his family) habitually speak in blank verse.}}
*{{xt|We journeyed on the Inter[continental].}}
*{{xt|Most people are right-handed. (Some people are left-handed, but that does not make right-handed people "better" than left-handed people.)}}

There should be a space after a closing bracket, except where a punctuation mark follows (though a spaced dash would still be spaced after a closing bracket) and in unusual cases similar to those listed for opening brackets.

Avoid adjacent sets of brackets. Either put the parenthetical phrases in one set separated by semicolons, or rewrite:
*{{em|Avoid}}: {{!xt|Nikifor Grigoriev ({{circa|1885}}&nbsp;– 1919) (also known as Matvii Hryhoriiv) was a Ukrainian insurgent leader.}}
*{{em|Better}}: {{xt|Nikifor Grigoriev ({{circa|1885}}&nbsp;– 1919; also known as Matvii Hryhoriiv) was a Ukrainian insurgent leader.}}
*{{em|Better}}: {{xt|Nikifor Grigoriev ({{circa|1885}}&nbsp;– 1919) was a Ukrainian insurgent leader. He was also known as Matvii Hryhoriiv.}}

Square brackets are used to indicate editorial replacements and insertions within quotations, though this should never alter the intended meaning. They serve three main purposes:
*To clarify: {{xt|She attended [secondary] school}}, where this was the intended meaning, but the type of school was unstated in the original sentence.
*To reduce the size of a quotation: {{xt|X contains Y, and under certain circumstances, X may contain Z as well}} may be reduced to {{xt|X contains Y [and sometimes Z]}}. When an ellipsis ({{xt|...}}) is used to indicate that material is removed from a direct quotation, it should not normally be bracketed. {{crossref|pw=y|(See {{section link||Ellipses}} for an exceptional case.)}}
*To make the grammar work: Referring to someone's statement {{xt|"I hate to do laundry"}}, one could properly write {{xt|She "hate[s] to do laundry"}}.

If a sentence includes subsidiary material enclosed in square or round brackets, it must still carry terminal punctuation {{em|after}} those brackets, regardless of any punctuation within the brackets. {{Block indent|{{xt|She refused all requests (except for basics such as food, medicine, etc.).}}}} However, if the entire sentence is within brackets, the closing punctuation falls within the brackets. {{xt|(This sentence is an example.)}}

====Brackets and linking====
Square brackets inside of links must be [[Escape character|escaped]]:

{| class="wikitable"
| He said, "<code>{{mxt|<nowiki>[[John Doe|John &amp;#91;Doe&amp;#93;]]</nowiki>}}</code> answered." ||
He said, "[[John Doe|John &#91;Doe&#93;]] answered."
|-
| He said, "<code>{{mxt|<nowiki>[[John Doe|John {{bracket|Doe}}]]</nowiki>}}</code> answered." ||
He said, "[[John Doe|John {{bracket|Doe}}]] answered."
|-
| <code>{{mxt|<nowiki>[https://example.com On the first day &amp;#91;etc.&amp;#93;]</nowiki>}}</code> ||
[https://example.com On the first day &#91;etc.&#93;]
|-
| <code>{{mxt|<nowiki>[https://example.com On the first day {{bracket|etc.}}]</nowiki>}}</code> ||
[https://example.com On the first day {{bracket|etc.}}]
|}

The {{xtag|nowiki}} markup can also be used: {{tag|nowiki|content=[Doe]}} or {{tag|nowiki|content=[etc.]}}.

If a URL itself contains square brackets, the wiki-text should use the [[URL encoding|URL-encoded]] form <code><nowiki>https://</nowiki>example.com/foo.php?query={{bxt|%5B}}xxx{{bxt|%5D}}yyy</code>, rather than&nbsp;...<code>query={{!bxt|&#91;}}xxx{{!bxt|&#93;}}yyy</code>. This will avoid truncation of the link after <code>xxx</code>.

===Ellipses<span class="anchor" id="Ellipsis"></span><span class="anchor" id="Ellipses"></span><span class="anchor" id="..."></span><span class="anchor" id="Ellipsis style"></span><span class="anchor" id="Ellipsis function and implementation"></span>===
{{Shortcut|MOS:ELLIPSIS|MOS:ELLIPSES|MOS:DOTDOTDOT|MOS:…}}
Use an ''[[ellipsis]]'' (plural ''ellipses'') if material is omitted in the course of a quotation, unless square brackets are used to [[Gloss (annotation)|gloss]] the quotation {{crossref|pw=y|(see {{section link||Brackets and parentheses}}, and the points below)}}.

*Wikipedia's style for an ellipsis is three unspaced dots ({{xt|<code>...</code>}}); do not use the precomposed ellipsis character ({{!xt|<code>…</code>}})<!-- Possibly we should explain the precomposed character in terms of its code point or something --> or three dots separated by spaces {{nobr|({{!xt|<code>. . .</code>}})}}
*Generally, use a non-breaking space before an ellipsis, and a regular space after it: {{nobr|{{xt|<code>"Alpha, Bravo,<nowiki>{{nbsp}}</nowiki>... Zulu"</code>}}}}
**But where an ellipsis is immediately followed by any of <code>. ? ! : ; , ) ] }</code> or by a closing quotation mark (single or double), use a non-breaking space before the ellipsis, and no space after it:
**: {{xt|<code><nowiki>Jones wrote: "These stories amaze me. The facts suffer so frightfully{{nbsp}}...".</nowiki></code>}}
**: {{xt|<code><nowiki>"But what of the other cities? London, Paris{{nbsp}}...?"</nowiki></code>}} (Place terminal punctuation after an ellipsis only if it is textually important, as is often the case with exclamation marks and question marks but rarely with periods.)
**Or, if the ellipsis immediately follows a quotation mark, use no space before the ellipsis, and a non-breaking space after it:
**: {{xt|<code><nowiki>He continued to pursue Smith ("...{{nbsp}}to the ends of the earth", he had sworn) until his own death.</nowiki></code>}}
*In mathematics formulas, formatted using html or wikimarkup, use three unspaced dots rather than the precomposed ellipsis character as above. However, in LaTeX-formatted mathematics formulas, use the proper LaTeX markup for lowered dots (<code>\dots</code>, <math>\dots</math>) rather than three dots. Do not replace precomposed characters that have dots in other positions (such as centered or diagonal, ⋯, ⋰, or ⋱).
; {{visible anchor|Pause or suspension of speech}}
: Three dots are occasionally used to represent a pause in or suspense of speech, in which case the punctuation is retained in its original form: {{xt|Virginia's startled reply was "Could he&nbsp;...? No, I can't believe it!"}}. When it indicates an incomplete word, no space is used between the word fragment(s) and the ellipsis: {{xt|The garbled transmission ended with "We are stranded near San L...o", interpreted as a reference to either San Leandro or San Lorenzo.}}
; {{Anchor|Ellipses with square brackets}}With square brackets
:Square brackets may be placed around an ellipsis that indicates omitted text to distinguish it from an ellipsis that is part of the quoted text: {{xt|She retorted: "How do I feel? How do you {{em|think}} I&nbsp;... This is too much!&nbsp;[...] Take me home!"}}. In this example, the first ellipsis is part of the quoted text and the second ellipsis (in square brackets) indicates omitted text.

===Commas===
{{Shortcut|MOS:COMMA|MOS:,}}

<ul><!--Do not convert this to a wikimarkup list; that approach cannot handle embedded tables.-->
<li>
A pair of [[comma]]s can bracket an [[Apposition|appositive]], [[relative clause]], or [[parenthesis (rhetoric)|parenthetical phrase]] (as can brackets or dashes, though with greater interruption of the sentence). For example:

{| role="presentation" style="background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|John Smith, Janet Cooper's son, is a well-known playwright.}}
|-
| {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|Janet Cooper's son John Smith is a well-known playwright.}} (when Janet has multiple sons)
|-
| {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|Janet Cooper's son, John Smith, is a well-known playwright.}} (when Janet has only one son)
|}
Always use a ''pair'' of commas for this, unless another punctuation mark takes the place of the second comma:
{| role="presentation" style="background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| {{em|Incorrect:}}
| {{!xt|The newest member, John Smith was blunt.}}<!-- There's actually a way to parse this such that it would be acceptable in some styles, but WP articles don't use such styles. -->
|-
| {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|Blunt comments came from the newest member, John Smith.}}
|-
| {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|The newest member, John Smith{{snd}}a retired teacher{{snd}}was blunt.}}
|}
</li>

<li>
Don't let other punctuation distract you from the need for a comma, especially when the comma collides with a bracket or parenthesis:

{| role="presentation" style="background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|Burke and Wills, fed by locals (on beans, fish, and ''ngardu''), survived for a few months.}}
|-
| {{em|Incorrect:}}
| {{!xt|Burke and Wills, fed by locals (on beans, fish, and ''ngardu'') survived for a few months.}}
|}
</li>

<li>{{anchor|fewer commas}}
Modern{{efn|name=recent}} writing uses fewer commas; there are usually ways to simplify a sentence so that fewer are needed.

{| role="presentation" style="background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| {{em|Clear}}:
| {{xt|Schubert's heroes included Mozart, Beethoven, and Joseph and Michael Haydn.}}
|-
| {{em|Awkward}}:
| {{!xt|Mozart was, along with the Haydns, both Joseph and Michael, and also Beethoven, one of Schubert's heroes.}}
|}
</li>

{{Shortcut|MOS:GEOCOMMA}}
<li>{{anchor|Geographical references}}
In geographical references that include multiple levels of subordinate divisions (e.g., city, state/province, country), a comma separates each element and follows the last element unless followed by terminal punctuation or a closing parenthesis. The last element is treated as [[Wikipedia:Basic copyediting#Parenthetical comma|parenthetical]].

{| role="presentation" style="background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|He traveled through North Carolina before staying in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the night.}}<!-- About a 10-hour drive if he started in Virginia Beach and passed through Winston-Salem. -->
|-
| {{em|Incorrect:}}
| {{!xt|He traveled through North Carolina before staying in Chattanooga, Tennessee for the night.}}
|}

Also include commas when the geographical element is used as a disambiguator:

{| role="presentation" style="background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|Hantratty received a PhD from the University of California, Irvine, in 1977.}}
|-
| {{em|Incorrect:}}
| {{!xt|Hantratty received a PhD from the University of California, Irvine in 1977.}}
|}
</li>

{{shortcut|MOS:DATECOMMA|MOS:YEARCOMMA}}
<li>{{anchor|Date commas}}
[[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers#Dates, months, and years|Dates]] in month–day–year format require a comma after the day, as well as after the year, unless followed by other punctuation. The last element is treated as [[Wikipedia:Basic copyediting#Parenthetical comma|parenthetical]].

{| role="presentation" style="background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|He set October 1, 2011, as the deadline for Patterson to meet his demands.}}
|-
| {{em|Incorrect:}}
| {{!xt|He set October 1, 2011 as the deadline for Patterson to meet his demands.}}
|}
</li>

{{shortcut|MOS:QUOTECOMMA}}
<li>{{anchor|Quotation commas}}
Place quotation marks by following {{Section link||Punctuation inside or outside}}. This is known as "logical quotation".

{| role="presentation" style="background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|She said, "The weather changes too often", and made other complaints.}}
|-
| {{em|Incorrect:}}
| {{!xt|She said, "The weather changes too often," and made other complaints.}}
|}
</li>

<li>
A comma may be included before a quotation embedded within a sentence {{crossref|pw=y|(see {{section link||Quotation marks}})}}.
</li>

</ul>

====Serial commas<span class="anchor" id="Serial comma"></span><span class="anchor" id="Oxford comma"></span><span class="anchor" id="Oxford commas"></span><span class="anchor" id="Harvard comma"></span><span class="anchor" id="Harvard commas"></span>====
{{Shortcut|WP:OCOMMA|MOS:SERIAL|MOS:OXFORD|MOS:HARVARD}}
{{Redirect|MOS:OXFORD|Oxford spelling|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Spelling#British English with "-ize" (Oxford spelling)}}

A [[serial comma]] (sometimes also known as an ''Oxford comma'' or ''Harvard comma'') is a comma used immediately before a conjunction (''and'', ''or'', ''nor'') in a list of three or more items.

{{Block indent|{{xt|ham, chips, and eggs}}{{spnd}}serial comma}}
{{Block indent|{{xt|ham, chips and eggs}}{{spnd}}no serial comma}}

Editors may use either convention so long as each article is internally consistent. Serial commas are more helpful when article text is complex, such as a list with multi-word items (especially if one contains its own "''and''"{{--)}} or a series of probably unfamiliar terms.

However, there are cases in which either omitting or including the serial comma results in ambiguity:

{{Block indent|{{!xt|The author thanked her friends, Sinéad O'Connor and Bob Marley}}{{spnd}}which may list either four or more people (the friends and the two people named) or two people (O'Connor and Marley, who are the friends).}}

{{Block indent|{{!xt|The author thanked a friend, Sinéad O'Connor, and Bob Marley}}{{spnd}}which may list either two people (O'Connor, who is the friend, and Marley) or three people (the first being the friend, the second O'Connor, and the third Marley).}}

In such cases of ambiguity, clarify one of four ways:
*Add or remove the serial comma.
*Use separate sentences, bullet lists, or some other structural change to clarify.
*Recast the sentence ("friends" case):
**To list two people: {{xt|The author thanked her friends Sinéad O'Connor and Bob Marley.}}
***Clearer: {{xt|The author thanked two friends – Sinéad O'Connor and Bob Marley.}}
**To list several people:
**: {{xt|The author thanked Sinéad O'Connor, Bob Marley and her friends}} or
**: {{xt|The author thanked Sinéad O'Connor, Bob Marley, and her friends}}.
***But not: {{!xt|The author thanked Bob Marley, Sinéad O'Connor[,] and her friends}}{{spnd}}introduces ambiguity about ''her''.
*Recast the sentence ("friend" case):
**To list two people: {{xt|The author thanked Bob Marley and her friend, Sinéad O'Connor.}}
***Or be more specific when possible (the commas here set off non-restrictive [[Apposition|appositives]]): {{xt|The author thanked her childhood friend, Sinéad O'Connor, and her mentor, Bob Marley.}}
**To list three people: {{xt|The author thanked Bob Marley, Sinéad O'Connor, and a friend.}}
***Clarity with gender-specific terms such as ''mother'' can be tricky; {{!xt|The author thanked her mother, Kim Thayil, and Sinéad O'Connor}} is unclear because readers may not know [[Kim Thayil]] is male and wouldn't be the same person as the mother.
***Clearer: {{xt|The author thanked Kim Thayil, Sinéad O'Connor, and her own mother}} or {{xt|The author thanked her mother and musicians Kim Thayil and Sinéad O'Connor}}.

===Colons===
{{Shortcut|MOS:COLON}}
{{For|the "colon trick" (for linking to a category, image, or interwiki link without adding the page to the category, displaying the image, or adding the interwiki link)|Help:Colon trick}}

A [[Colon (punctuation)|colon]] ({{xt|:}}) introduces something that demonstrates, explains, or modifies what has come before, or is a list of items that has just been introduced. The items in such a list may be separated by commas, or if they are more complex and perhaps themselves contain commas, the items should be separated by semicolons or arranged in a bulleted list.

{{Block indent|{{xt|We visited several tourist attractions: the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which I thought could fall at any moment; the Bridge of Sighs; the supposed birthplace of Petrarch, or at least the first known house in which he lived; and so many more.}}}}

A colon may also be used to introduce [[Quotation marks in English#Quotations and speech|direct speech]] enclosed within quotation marks. {{crossref|pw=y|(See {{section link||Quotation marks}}.)}}

In most cases, a colon works best with a complete grammatical sentence before it. When what follows the colon is also a complete sentence, start it with a capital letter, but otherwise do not capitalize after a colon except where doing so is needed for another reason, such as for a proper name. When a colon is being used as a separator in an article title, section heading, or list item, editors may choose whether to capitalize what follows, taking into consideration [[#Retaining existing styles|the existing practice]] and [[Wikipedia:Article titles#Consistent titling|consistency with related articles]].

Except in technical usage ({{xt|a 3:1 ratio}}), no sentence should contain multiple colons, no space should precede a colon, and a space (but never a hyphen or dash) should follow the colon.

===Semicolons===
{{Shortcut|MOS:SEMICOLON|MOS:COMMASPLICE|MOS:;}}
{{for|usage in marking up description (definition) lists|Help:List#Description lists}}

A [[semicolon]] ({{xt|;}}) is sometimes an alternative to a full stop (period), enabling related material to be kept in the same sentence; it marks a more decisive division in a sentence than a comma. If the semicolon separates clauses, normally each clause must be independent (meaning that it could stand on its own as a sentence). In many cases, only a comma or only a semicolon will be correct in a given sentence.

{| role="presentation" style="margin:0.2em 0 0.5em 1.6em; background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| style="padding-right:1em" | {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|Though he had been here before, I did not recognize him.}}
|-
| style="padding-right:1em" | {{em|Incorrect:}}
| {{!xt|Though he had been here before; I did not recognize him.}}
|}

Above, "Though he had been here before" cannot stand on its own as a sentence, and therefore is not an independent clause.

{| role="presentation" style="margin:0.2em 0 0.5em 1.6em; background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| style="padding-right:1em" | {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|Oranges are an acidic fruit; bananas are classified as alkaline.}}
|-
| style="padding-right:1em" | {{em|Incorrect:}}
| {{!xt|Oranges are an acidic fruit, bananas are classified as alkaline.}}
|}

This incorrect use of a comma between two independent clauses is known as a [[comma splice]]; however, in certain kinds of cases, a comma may be used where a semicolon would seem to be called for:

{| role="presentation" style="margin:0.2em 0 0.5em 1.6em; background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| {{em|Accepted}}: || {{xt|"Life is short, art is long."}} (two brief clauses in an [[aphorism]]; see ''[[Ars longa, vita brevis]]'')
|-
| {{em|Accepted}}: || {{xt|"I have studied it, you have not."}} (reporting brisk conversation, such as this reply of [[Isaac Newton|Newton]]'s)
|}

A sentence may contain several semicolons, especially when the clauses are parallel in construction and meaning; multiple unrelated semicolons are often signs that the sentence should be divided into shorter sentences or otherwise refashioned.

{| role="presentation" style="margin:0.2em 0 0.5em 1.6em; background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| style="padding-right:1em" | {{em|Unwieldy}}:
| {{!xt|Oranges are an acidic fruit; bananas are classified as alkaline; pears are close to neutral; these distinctions are rarely discussed.}}
|-
| style="padding-right:1em" | {{em|Better}}:
| {{xt|Oranges are an acidic fruit, bananas are alkaline, and pears are close to neutral; these distinctions are rarely discussed.}}
|}

Semicolons are used in addition to commas to separate items in a listing, when commas alone would result in confusion.

{| role="presentation" style="margin:0.2em 0 0.5em 1.6em; background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| style="padding-right:1em" | {{em|Confusing}}:
| {{!xt|Sales offices are located in Boston, Massachusetts, San Francisco, California, Singapore, and Millbank, London, England.}}
|-
| style="padding-right:1em" | {{em|Clear}}:
| {{xt|Sales offices are located in Boston, Massachusetts; San Francisco, California; Singapore; and Millbank, London, England.}}
|}

====Semicolon before "however"====
{{Shortcut|MOS:HOWEVER}}

The meaning of a sentence containing a trailing clause that starts with the word ''however'' depends on the punctuation preceding that word. A common error is to use the wrong punctuation, thereby changing the meaning to one not intended.

When the word ''however'' is an adverb meaning "nevertheless", it should be preceded by a semicolon and followed by a comma. Example:

{| role="presentation" style="margin:0.2em 0 0.5em 1.6em; background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| || {{xt|It was obvious they could not convert these people; however, they tried.}}
|-
| {{em|Meaning}}: || {{xt|It was obvious they could not convert these people; nevertheless, they tried.}}
|}

When the word ''however'' is a conjunction meaning "in whatever manner", or "regardless of how", it may be preceded by a comma but not by a semicolon, and should not be followed by punctuation. Example:

{| role="presentation" style="margin:0.2em 0 0.5em 1.6em; background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| || {{xt|It was obvious they could not convert these people, however they tried.}}
|-
| {{em|Meaning}}: || {{xt|It was obvious they could not convert these people, regardless of how they tried.}}
|}

In the first case, the clause that starts with "however" cannot be swapped with the first clause; in the second case this can be done without change of meaning:

{| role="presentation" style="margin:0.2em 0 0.5em 1.6em; background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| || {{xt|However they tried, it was obvious they could not convert these people.}}
|-
| {{em|Meaning}}: || {{xt|Regardless of how they tried, it was obvious they could not convert these people.}}
|}

If the two clauses cannot be swapped, a semicolon is required.

A sentence or clause can also contain the word ''however'' in the middle, if it is an adverb meaning "although" that could have been placed at the beginning but does not start a new clause in mid-sentence. In this use, the word may be enclosed between commas. Example:

{| role="presentation" style="margin:0.2em 0 0.5em 1.6em; background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| || {{xt|He did not know, however, that the venue had been changed at the last minute.}}
|-
| {{em|Meaning}}: || {{xt|However, he did not know that the venue had been changed at the last minute.}}
|}

===Hyphens===
{{Shortcut|MOS:HYPHEN}}

[[Hyphen]]s ({{xt|-}}) indicate conjunction. There are three main uses:
{{multiple image
 | direction     = horizontal
 | total_width   = 400
 | caption_align = center
 | image1        = Haring 03.jpg
 | image2        = Great white Dyer island 2010-07.jpg
 | caption1      = A man {{nobr|eating fish}}
 | caption2      = A man-eating fish
}}

# In hyphenated personal names ({{xt|John Lennard-Jones}}, {{xt|Omar al-Bashir}}).
# To link [[prefix]]es with their main terms in certain constructions ({{xt|quasi-scientific}}, {{xt|pseudo-Apollodorus}}, {{xt|ultra-nationalistic}}).
#*A hyphen may be used to distinguish between [[homograph]]s ({{xt|re-dress}} means ''dress again'', but {{xt|redress}} means ''remedy'' or ''set right'').
#*There is a clear trend to join both elements in all varieties of English ({{xt|subsection}}, {{xt|nonlinear}}). Hyphenation clarifies when the letters brought into contact are the same ({{xt|non-negotiable}}, {{xt|sub-basement}}) or are vowels ({{xt|pre-industrial}}), or where a word is uncommon ({{xt|co-proposed}}, {{xt|re-target}}) or may be misread ({{xt|sub-era}}, not {{!xt|subera}}). Some words of these sorts are nevertheless common without the hyphen (e.g., {{xt|cooperation}} is more frequently attested than {{xtg|co-operation}} in contemporary English).{{efn|name=recent}}
# To link related terms in [[compound modifier]]s:{{Efn|1=Specifically, compound [[attributive adjective|attributive]]s, which are modifiers of a noun that occur within the [[noun phrase]]. {{crossref|pw=y|(See {{section link|English compound#Hyphenated compound modifiers}}.)}}}}
#*Hyphens can aid ease of reading (that is, they can be {{xt|ease-of-reading}} aids) and are particularly useful in long noun phrases: {{xt|gas-phase reaction dynamics}}. But never insert a hyphen into a proper name ({{xt|Middle Eastern cuisine}}, not {{!xt|Middle-Eastern cuisine}}).
#*A hyphen can help to disambiguate (some {{xt|short-story writers}} are quite tall; {{xt|a government-monitoring program}} is a program that monitors the government, whereas {{xt|a government monitoring program}} is a government program that monitors).
#*Compounds that are hyphenated when used {{em|[[Attributive adjective|attributively]]}} (adjectives before the nouns they qualify: {{xt|a light-blue handbag}}, {{xt|a 34-year-old woman}}) or {{em|[[substantive]]ly}} (as a noun: {{xt|she is a 34-year-old}}) are usually not hyphenated when used {{em|[[Predicative expression|predicatively]]}} (descriptive phrase separated from the noun: {{xt|the handbag was light blue}}, {{xt|the woman is 34 years old}}). Where there would otherwise be a loss of clarity, however, a hyphen may be used in the predicative form as well ({{xt|hand-fed turkeys}}, {{xt|the turkeys were hand-fed}}). Awkward attributive hyphenation can sometimes be avoided with a simple rewording: {{xt|Hawaiian-native species}} → {{xt|native Hawaiian species}}.
#*Avoid using a hyphen after a standard ''{{nowrap|-ly}}'' adverb ({{xt|a newly available home}}, {{xt|a wholly owned subsidiary}}) unless part of a larger compound ({{xt|a slowly-but-surely strategy}}). In rare cases, a hyphen can improve clarity if a rewritten alternative is awkward, but rewording is usually preferable: {{!xt|The idea was clearly stated enough}} can be disambiguated as {{xt|The idea clearly was stated often enough}} or {{xt|The idea was stated with enough clarity}}.
#*A few words ending in ''{{nowrap|-ly}}'' function as both adjectives and adverbs ({{xt|a kindly-looking teacher}}; {{xt|a kindly provided facility}}). Some such dual-purpose words (like {{xt|early}}, {{xt|only}}, {{xt|northerly}}) are not standard ''{{nowrap|-ly}}'' adverbs, because they are not formed by addition of ''{{nowrap|-ly}}'' to an independent current-English adjective. These need careful treatment: {{xt|Early flowering plants appeared around 130&nbsp;million years ago}}, but {{xt|Early-flowering plants risk damage from winter frosts}}; {{xt|only child actors}} (no adult actors) but {{xt|only-child actors}} (actors without siblings).
#*A hyphen is normally used when the adverb ''well'' precedes a participle used attributively ({{xt|a well-meaning gesture}}; but normally {{xt|a very well managed firm}}, because ''well'' itself is modified) and even predicatively, if ''well'' is necessary to, or alters, the sense of the adjective rather than simply intensifying it ({{xt|the gesture was well-meaning}}, {{xt|the child was well-behaved}}, but {{xt|the floor was well polished}}).
#*In some cases, such as {{xt|diode–transistor logic}}, the independent status of the linked elements requires an en dash instead of a hyphen. {{crossref|pw=y|See {{Section link||Dashes}}.}}
#*{{shortcut|MOS:SUSPENDED|MOS:HANGING}}Use a '''[[suspended hyphen]]''' (also called a ''hanging hyphen'') when two compound modifiers are separated ({{xt|two- and three-digit numbers}}; {{xt|a ten-car or -truck convoy}}; {{xt|sloping right- or leftward}}).
#*Values and units used as compound modifiers are hyphenated only where the unit is given as a whole word; when using the unit symbol, separate it from the number with a [[non-breaking space]] (<code>&amp;nbsp;</code>).

<div class="block-indent" style="padding-left: 5em; padding-right: 0; overflow: hidden;"><!--The underlying code adapted from {{block indent}} which doesn't work around wikitables.-->
{| style="background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| {{em|Incorrect:}} || {{!xt|9-mm gap}}
|-
| {{em|Correct:}} || {{xt|9&nbsp;mm gap}} (markup: <code>9&amp;nbsp;mm gap</code>)
|-
| {{em|Incorrect:}}&nbsp; &nbsp; || {{!xt|9&nbsp;millimetre gap}}
|-
| {{em|Correct:}} || {{xt|9-millimetre gap}}
|-
| {{em|Correct:}} || {{xt|12-hour shift}}
|-
| {{em|Correct:}} || {{xt|12&nbsp;h shift}} (markup: <code>12&amp;nbsp;h shift</code>)
|}
</div>

'''Multi-word hyphenated items:''' It is often possible to avoid multi-word hyphenated modifiers by rewording ({{xt|a four-CD soundtrack album}} may be easier to read as {{xt|a soundtrack album of four CDs}}). This is particularly important where converted units are involved ({{xt|the 6-hectare-limit (14.8-acre-limit) rule}} might be possible as {{xt|the rule imposing a limit of six hectares (14.8 acres)}}, and the ungainly {{!xt|4.9-mile (7.9&nbsp;km) -long tributary}} as simply {{xt|4.9-mile (7.9&nbsp;km) tributary}}).

For optional hyphenation of compound '''points of the compass''' such as ''southwest/south-west'', see {{section link||Compass points}}.

Do not use a capital letter after a hyphen except for a proper name following the hyphen: {{xt|Graeco-Roman}} and {{xt|Mediterranean-style}}, but not {{!xt|Gandhi-Like}}. In titles of published works, when given in [[title case]], follow the capitalization rule for each part independently ({{xt|''The Out-of-Towners''}}), unless reliable sources consistently do otherwise in a particular case ({{xt|''The History of Middle-earth''}}).

Hyphenation rules in other languages may be different. Thus, in French a place name such as {{xt|Trois-Rivières}} ('Three Rivers') is hyphenated, when it would not be in English. Follow reliable sources in such cases.

'''Spacing:''' A hyphen is never followed or preceded by a space, except when hanging {{crossref|pw=y|(see above)}} or when used to display parts of words independently, such as {{xt|the prefix sub-}}{{nbsp}}and {{xt|the suffix{{nbsp}}{{nbhyph}}less}}.

'''Image filenames and redirects:''' Image filenames are not part of the encyclopedic content; they are tools. They are most useful if they can be readily typed, so they usually use hyphens instead of dashes. Similarly, article titles with dashes should also have a corresponding redirect from a copy of the title with hyphens: for example, {{xt|[[Michelson-Morley experiment]]}} redirects to {{xt|[[Michelson–Morley experiment]]}}.

'''Non-breaking:''' A [[non-breaking hyphen]] ({{tlx|nbhyph}}) will {{em|not}} be used as a point of line-wrap.

{{Shortcut|MOS:SHY|MOS:SOFTHYPHEN}}
{{Anchor|shy}}
'''Soft hyphens:''' Use [[soft hyphen]]s to mark locations where a word will be broken and hyphenated {{em|if necessary}} at the end of a line of text, usually in [[Longest English words|very long words]] or narrow spaces (such as captions, narrow table columns, or text adjacent to a very wide image), for example: {{tlx|shy|Penn|syl|va|nia and Mass|a|chu|setts style themselves com|mon|wealths.}}. Use sparingly to avoid making wikitext difficult to read and edit. For more information, see [[Help:Line-break handling#%3Cwbr /%3E and soft hyphens|Help:Line-break handling]].

'''Encoding''': The hyphen is represented by the {{small|ASCII/UNICODE [[hyphen-minus|HYPHEN-MINUS]]}} character, which is entered by the hyphen or minus key on all standard keyboards. Do not use the {{small|[[Hyphen#Unicode|UNICODE HYPHEN]]}} character.

Hyphenation involves many subtleties that cannot be covered here; the rules and examples presented above illustrate the broad principles.

=== Dashes<span id="Em dashes"></span><span id="Unspaced em dash"></span><span id="En dashes"></span><span id="Spaced en dash"></span> ===
{{redirect|WP:DASH|the overview of Wikipedia discussions|Wikipedia:Dashboard}}
{{Shortcut|MOS:DASH|MOS:EMDASH|MOS:ENDASH}}

Two forms of dash are used on Wikipedia: '''[[en dash]]''' ({{xt|–}}) and '''[[em dash]]''' ({{xt|—}}). To enter them, click on them in the [[Help:CharInsert|CharInsert toolbar]], or on a Windows keyboard enter them manually as:
*<code>&amp;ndash;</code> or <code>&amp;mdash;</code>
*{{tlx|endash}} or {{tlx|emdash}}
On a Mac keyboard the en dash is entered as {{key press|opt|-}}, and the em dash as {{key press|shift|opt|-}}. 
Do not use a double hyphen (<code>--</code>) to stand in for a dash. {{crossref|pw=y|(See also: [[Wikipedia:How to make dashes]].)}}

Sources use dashes in varying ways. For consistency and clarity, Wikipedia adopts the following principles.

====In article titles====
In [[Wikipedia:Article titles|article titles]], do not use a hyphen ({{xt|-}}) as a substitute for an en dash, for example in ''[[eye–hand span]]'' (since ''eye'' does not modify ''hand''). Nonetheless, to aid searching and linking, provide a redirect with hyphens replacing the en dash(es), as in ''[[eye-hand span]]''. Similarly, provide [[Template:Category redirect|category redirects]] for categories containing dashes. When an en dash is being used as a separator in an article title or section heading, editors may choose whether to capitalize what follows, taking into consideration [[#Retaining existing styles|the existing practice]] and [[Wikipedia:Article titles#Consistent titling|consistency with related articles]].

====In running text====
{{Anchor|DASHVAR}}
Dashes are often used to mark divisions within a sentence: in pairs (parenthetical dashes, instead of parentheses or pairs of commas) or singly (perhaps instead of a colon). They may also indicate an abrupt stop or interruption in reporting quoted speech. In all such cases, either unspaced em dashes or spaced en dashes can be used, with consistency maintained throughout a given article:
*An em dash is <em>unspaced</em> on both sides:
{{Block indent|{{xt|Another "planet" was detected—but it was later found to be a moon of Saturn.}}}}
*An en dash is <em>spaced</em> on both sides:
{{Block indent|{{xt|Another "planet" was detected{{snd}}but it was later found to be a moon of Saturn.}}}}
Ideally, an en dash should be preceded by a non-breaking space; this prevents the dash from appearing at the beginning of a line. The {{tlx|snd}} template may be used for this:
{{Block indent|{{mxt|<nowiki>Another "planet" was detected{{snd}}but it was later found to be a moon of Saturn.</nowiki>}}}}
Do not insert any spaces where an en dash should be unspaced {{crossref|pw=y|(see {{section link||Other uses for en dashes}})}}.

Dashes can clarify a sentence's structure when commas, parentheses, or both are also being used.
*{{xt|The book summarizes works of some major philosophers in chronological order: Descartes, Locke, Hume{{snd}}but not his ''Treatise'' (deemed too complex for the target audience){{snd}}and Kant.}}

<span class="anchor" id="Spare the dash"></span>{{Shortcut|MOS:SPARETHEDASH|MOS:NOTRIPLEDASH}}
Use dashes sparingly. More than two in a single sentence makes the structure unclear; it takes time for the reader to see which dashes form a pair, if any.
*{{xt|The birds{{snd}}at least the ones Darwin collected{{snd}}had red and blue feathers.}}
*{{xt|"We have run aground at{{snd}}", was the final, incomplete message received from the ship.}}
*Avoid: {{!xt|First{{snd}}at a marshy site leveled with landfill{{snd}}came the workshop{{snd}}then administrative and other buildings.}}
*Better: {{xt|First{{snd}}at a marshy site leveled with landfill{{snd}}came the workshop; administrative and other buildings were erected later.}}

=====In ranges that might otherwise be expressed with ''to'' or ''through''<span id="Ranges"></span><span id="Number ranges"></span>=====
{{Shortcut|MOS:ENTO|MOS:ENFROM|MOS:RANGE|MOS:RANGES}}
{{Hatnote|This section is about ranges of numbers, dates, or times. For other ranges, such as ranges of physical locations, see {{section link||In compounds when the connection might otherwise be expressed with to, versus, and, or between}}.}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers#Ranges}}

For ranges between numbers, dates, or times, use an en dash:
*{{xt|pp.&nbsp;7–19}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|64–75%}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|Henry&nbsp;VIII reigned 1509–1547}}{{efn|name="date range"|A change from a general preference for two digits, to a general preference for four digits, on the right side of ''year–year'' ranges was implemented in July 2016 per [[Wikipedia:Village pump (policy)/Archive 129#WP:DATERANGE ambiguity and stylistic concerns|this RFC]]. For more information see {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers#Ranges}}.}}

Do not change hyphens to dashes in filenames, [[URL]]s, or templates such as {{tlx|Bibleverse}} (which formats verse ranges into URLs), even if a range is embedded in them.

Do not mix en dashes with ''between'' or ''from''.
*{{xt|450–500 people}}
*{{xt|between 450 and 500 people}}, not {{!xt|between 450–500 people}}
*{{xt|from 450 to 500 people}}, not {{!xt|from 450–500 people}}
*{{xt|from 1961 to 1964}}, not {{!xt|from 1961–1964}}
*{{xt|between the 1961–1962 and 1967–1968 seasons, ticket sales dropped substantially}} (or {{xt|between the 1961–62 and 1967–68 seasons}})

The en dash in a range is always unspaced, except when either or both elements of the range include at least one space, hyphen, or en dash; in such cases, {{tl|snd}} between them will provide the proper formatting.
*{{nobr| {{xt|July 23, 1790{{snd}}December 1, 1791}}}} (not {{nobr| {{!xt|July 23, 1790–December 1, 1791}}}})
*{{nobr| {{xt|14 May{{snd}}2 August 2011}}}} (not {{nobr| {{!xt|14 May–2 August 2011}}}})
*{{nobr| {{xt|1–17 September}}}} (and note in this case that the second element of the range is ''17'', not ''17{{nbsp}}September'');&nbsp;&nbsp; {{nobr| {{xt|February–October 2009}}}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{nobr| {{xt|1492{{snd}}7 April 1556}}}}
*{{nobr| {{xt|Christmas Day{{snd}}New Year's Eve}}}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{nobr| {{xt|Christmas 2001{{snd}}Easter 2002}}}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{nobr| {{xt|10:30 pm Tuesday{{snd}}1:25 am Wednesday}}}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{nobr| {{xt|6:00 p.m.{{snd}}9:30 p.m.}}}} (but {{nobr| {{xt|6:00–9:30 p.m.}}}})
*{{xt|wavelengths in the range {{nobr| 28 mm{{snd}}17&nbsp;m.}}}}
*{{nobr| {{xt|pages 5-7{{snd}}5-9}}}}<!-- The three elements of this range are each hyphenated. Example: the range is three pages "5-7", "5-8", and "5-9". -->

If negative values are involved, an unspaced en dash might be confusing:
*{{xt|−10 to 10}}, not {{!xt|−10–10}} (though {{xt|−10{{snd}}10}} might work in a table consistently formatted with {{var|x}}–{{var|y}} constructions)

=====In compounds when the connection might otherwise be expressed with ''to'', ''versus'', ''and'', or ''between''<span class="anchor" id="ENBETWEEN"></span>=====
{{Shortcut|MOS:ENBETWEEN}}

Here, the relationship is thought of as parallel, symmetric, equal, oppositional, or at least involving {{em|separate or independent elements}}. The components may be nouns, adjectives, verbs, or any other independent part of speech. Often, if the components are reversed there would be little change of meaning.
*{{xt|boyfriend–girlfriend problems}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the Paris–Montpellier route}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|a New York–Los Angeles flight}}
*{{xt|iron–cobalt interactions}}; the components are parallel and reversible; iron and cobalt retain their identity
*Wrong: {{!xt|an iron–roof shed}}; ''iron'' modifies ''roof'', so use a hyphen: {{xt|an iron-roof shed}}
*Wrong: {{!xt|a singer–songwriter}}; not separate persons, so use a hyphen: {{xt|a singer-songwriter}}
*{{xt|red–green colorblind}}; red and green are separate independent colors, not mixed
*Wrong: {{!xt|blue–green algae}}; a blended, intermediate color, so use a hyphen: {{xt|blue-green algae}}
*{{xt|a 51–30 win}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|a 12–0 perfect season}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|a 22–17 majority vote}};<ref>{{cite web |title=Hyphens, En Dashes, Em Dashes |url=https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/HyphensEnDashesEmDashes/faq0013.html |website=www.chicagomanualofstyle.org |publisher=Chicago Manual of Style |access-date=9 March 2022}}</ref> but prefer spelling out when using words instead of numerals: {{xt|a six-to-two majority decision}}, not with the awkward {{!xt|six–two}};&nbsp;&nbsp;avoid confusingly reversed order: {{!xt|a 17–22 majority vote}}{{efn|1=It is not logically possible to have a "{{!xt|12–35 victory}}", except in a game where a lower score is better. Otherwise, use a construction like {{xt|Clovis beat Portales, 35–12}}, or {{xt|Jameson lost the election, 2345 votes to 6789, to Garcia}}, with parties, result, and number order in logical agreement.}}
*{{xt|a 50–50 joint venture}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|a 60–40 split}};&nbsp;&nbsp; avoid using a slash (stroke) here, which indicates division
*{{xt|the Uganda–Tanzania War}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the Roman–Syrian War}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the east–west runway}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the Lincoln–Douglas debates}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|a carbon–carbon bond}}
*{{xt|diode–transistor logic}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the analog–digital distinction}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|push–pull output}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|on–off switch}}
*{{xt|a pro-establishment–anti-intellectual alliance}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|Singapore–Sumatra–Java shipping lanes}}
*{{xt|the ballerina's rapid walk–dance transitions}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|a male–female height ratio of 1.14}}

Generally, use a hyphen in compounded proper names of single entities.
*[[Guinea-Bissau|{{xt|Guinea-Bissau}}]]; Bissau is its capital, and this name distinguishes the country from neighboring [[Guinea]]
*{{xt|Wilkes-Barre}}, a single city named after two people, but {{xt|Minneapolis–Saint Paul}}, an area encompassing two cities
*{{xt|John Lennard-Jones}}, an individual named after two families

{{Anchor|Anglo-|Dual nationalities}}
{{Shortcut|MOS:DUALNATIONALITIES}}
Use an en dash between the names of nations or nationalities when referring to an association between them. For people and things identifying with multiple nationalities, use a hyphen when using the combination adjectivally and a space when they are used as nouns, with the first used attributively to modify the second.
*{{xt|an Italian–Swiss border crossing}};&nbsp;&nbsp; but {{xt|an Italian-Swiss newspaper}} for {{xt|Italian-speaking Swiss}}
*{{xt|France–Britain rivalry}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|French–British rivalry}}
*{{xt|an Indian-American scientist}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|was especially popular with Indian Americans}}
*Wrong: {{!xt|Franco–British rivalry}}; ''Franco-'' is a {{em|combining form}}, not an independent word, so use a hyphen: {{xt|Franco-British rivalry}}

A slash or some other alternative may occasionally be better to express a ratio, especially in technical contexts {{crossref|pw=y|(see {{section link||Slashes}})}}.
*{{xt|the protein–fat ratio}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the protein/fat ratio}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the protein-to-fat ratio}}
*Colons are often used for strictly numeric ratios, to avoid confusion with subtraction and division: {{xt|a 3:1 ratio}};&nbsp;&nbsp;{{xt|a three-to-one ratio}} {{crossref|pw=y|(see {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers|Fractions and ratios}})}}.

Use an en dash for the names of two or more entities in an attributive compound.
*{{xt|the Seifert–van Kampen theorem}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the Alpher–Bethe–Gamow theory}}
*{{xt|the Seeliger–Donker-Voet scheme}} (developed by Seeliger and Donker-Voet)
*{{xt|Comet Hale–Bopp}} or just {{xt|Hale–Bopp}} (discovered by Hale and Bopp)

Do not use an en dash for hyphenated personal names, even when they are used as adjectives:
*{{xt|Lennard-Jones potential}} with a hyphen: named after John Lennard-Jones

Do not use spaces around the en dash in any of the compounds above.

=====Instead of a hyphen, use an en dash when applying a prefix or suffix to a compound that itself includes a space, dash or hyphen<span class="anchor" id="En dash across open compounds"></span>=====
{{Shortcut|MOS:AFFIXDASH|MOS:PREFIXDASH|MOS:SUFFIXDASH}}
<!-- This list of examples only includes compounds that have a space or dash in them, but this should also apply when a compound includes a hyphen. Such examples should be included, if they exist. -->
*{{xt|ex–prime minister Thatcher}} (consider recasting: {{xt|former prime minister Thatcher}})
*{{xt|pre–World War II aircraft}} (consider recasting: {{xt|aircraft from before World War II}})
*{{xt|[[post–September 11 anti-war movement]]}}
*{{xt|[[Trans–New Guinea languages]]}}
*{{xt|[[post–Hartree–Fock]]}}
*{{xt|[[Afro–Puerto Rican]]}}
*{{xt|Turks and Caicos–based company}}
*{{xt|a Rodgers and Hammerstein–esque musical number}}

The form of category names follows the corresponding main articles, e.g., {{cat|Trans–New Guinea languages}}. 
However, the principle is not extended when compounding other words in category names, e.g., {{cat |Tennis-related lists}} and {{cat |Table tennis-related lists}} both use hyphens.

{{Anchor|To separate items in certain lists}}<!-- Old section name, may be linked-to. -->

=====To separate parts of an item in a list=====
{{Shortcut|MOS:LISTDASH}}

Spaced en dashes are sometimes used between parts of list items. For example:
*{{xt|James Galway{{snd}}flute; Anne-Sophie Mutter{{snd}}violin; Maurizio Pollini{{snd}}piano.}}
or
*{{xt|"The Future" – 7:21}}
*{{xt|"Ain't No Cure for Love" – 6:17}}
*{{xt|"Bird on the Wire" – 6:14}}

Editors may choose whether to capitalize what follows, taking into consideration [[#Retaining existing styles|the existing practice]] and [[Wikipedia:Article titles#Consistent titling|consistency with related articles]].

====Other uses for en dashes<span id="En dashes: other uses"></span>====
The [[en dash]] (–) has several common functions beyond its use in lists and running text. It is used to <em>join</em> components less strongly than a hyphen would {{crossref|pw=y|(see {{section link||Hyphens}})}}; conversely, it may also <em>separate</em> components less strongly than a slash would {{crossref|pw=y|(see {{Section link||Slashes}})}}. Consider the relationship that exists between two components when deciding what punctuation to place between them.

====Other uses for em dashes====
An [[#Indentation|indented]] em dash may be used when attributing the source of a passage, such as a [[#Block quotations|block quotation]] or poem. This dash should not be fully spaced: however, for reasons related to [[Wikipedia:Reuse|metadata]] and [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Accessibility|accessibility]], it is best to place a [[hair space]] between the dash and the name.{{efn|name=hairspace|The [[hair space]] should be done as {{mxt|{{tl|hair space}}}} because the actual Unicode character ({{hair space}}) is almost invisible, the meaning of the numerical HTML entity ({{!mxt|&amp;#8202;}}) is relatively obscure, and the named HTML entity "{{!mxt|&amp;hairsp;}}" is not standard and unsupported in some browsers.}} Most of Wikipedia's quotation templates provide this formatting automatically.

For example, {{mxt|{{tlp|in5}}—{{tl|hair space}}Charlotte Brontë}} will produce:

{{in5}}—{{hair space}}Charlotte Brontë

====Other dashes====
{{Shortcut|MOS:NEGATIVE}}

Do not use [[Typewriter#Typewriter conventions|typewriter approximations]] or other substitutes, such as two hyphens ({{!xt|--}}), for em or en dashes.

For a negative sign or subtraction operator use {{Unichar|2212|MINUS SIGN|nlink=Plus and minus signs#Minus sign|html=}}, which can also be generated by clicking on the {{Code|−}} following the {{Code|±}} in the {{xt|Insert}} toolbar beneath the edit window. Do not use {{Unichar|2212}} inside a {{tag|math|o}} tag, as the character gives a syntax error; instead use a normal hyphen {{Unichar|002D}}.

===Slashes (strokes)<span class="anchor" id="Slashes"></span>===
{{redirect|WP:SLASH|information on subpages, which contain a slash in their titles|WP:SUB}}
{{Shortcut|MOS:SLASH|MOS:STROKE|MOS:/}}

Generally, avoid joining two words with a [[Slash (punctuation)|slash]], also called a forward slash, stroke or solidus ({{xt|&nbsp;/&nbsp;}}), because it suggests that the words are related without specifying how. Replace with clearer wording.

An example: {{!xt|The parent/instructor must be present at all times.}} Must both be present? (Then write {{xt|the parent and the instructor}}.) Must at least one be present? (Then write {{xt|the parent or the instructor}}.) Are they the same person? (Use a hyphen: {{xt|the parent-instructor}}.)

In circumstances involving a distinction or disjunction, the en dash {{crossref|pw=y|(see above)}} is usually preferable to the slash: {{xt|the digital–analog distinction}}.

An unspaced slash may be used:
*to indicate [[phonemic]] [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Pronunciation|pronunciations]] ({{xt|''rivet'' is pronounced {{IPA|/ˈrɪvət/}}}});
*in a fraction (<code>7/8</code>, but see other techniques at {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers|Fractions and ratios}});
*to indicate regular defined yearly periods that do not coincide with calendar years (e.g., {{xt|the 2009/2010 fiscal year}}), if that is the convention used in reliable sources (see {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers|Long periods of time}} for further explanation);
*to express a ratio, in a form in which a slash is conventionally used (e.g., {{xt|the price-to-earnings ratio, or P/E ratio for short}});
*in an expression or abbreviation widely used outside Wikipedia (e.g., {{xt|n/a}} or {{xt|N/A}} for ''not applicable'').

A spaced slash may be used:
*to separate run-on lines in quoted poetry or song ({{xt|To be or not to be: that is the question:&nbsp;/ Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer&nbsp;/ The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune}}), or rarely in quoted prose, where careful marking of a paragraph break is textually important;
*to separate items that include at least one internal space ({{xt|the NY&nbsp;31 east&nbsp;/ NY&nbsp;370 exit}}), where for some reason use of a slash is unavoidable.

To avoid awkward linebreaks, code spaced slashes (and fraction slashes) with a non-breaking space on the left and a normal space on the right, as in: <code>My mama told me&amp;nbsp;/ You better shop around</code>. For short constructions, both spaces should be non-breaking: {{nobr|<code>x&amp;nbsp;/&amp;nbsp;y</code>}}. On the other hand, if two long words are connected by an unspaced slash, an {{tl|wbr}} added after the slash will allow a linebreak at that point.

Do not use the [[backslash]] character ({{!xt|&nbsp;\&nbsp;}}) in place of a slash.

Prefer the division operator ({{xt|&nbsp;÷&nbsp;}}) to slash or fraction slash when representing elementary arithmetic in general text: {{xt|{{nowrap|10 ÷ 2 {{=}} 5}}}}. In more advanced mathematical formulas, a [[Vinculum (symbol)|vinculum]] or slash is preferred: <math>\textstyle\frac{x^n}{n!}</math> or {{xt|{{var|x}}<sup>{{var|n}}</sup>/{{var|n}}!}} {{crossref|pw=y|(see {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers|Common mathematical symbols}} and [[Help:Displaying a formula]])}}.

====And/or====
{{Shortcut|MOS:ANDOR}}

Avoid writing {{!xt|and/or}} unless other constructions would be lengthy or awkward. Instead of {{!xt|Most had trauma and/or smoke inhalation}}, write simply {{xt|trauma or smoke inhalation}} (which would normally be interpreted as an [[Logical disjunction|inclusive ''or'']] to imply ''or both''); or, for emphasis or precision or both, write {{xt|trauma or smoke inhalation or both}}. Where more than two possibilities are present, instead of {{!xt|x, y, and/or{{nbsp}}z}} write {{xt|one or more of x, y, and{{nbsp}}z}} or {{xt|some or all of x, y, and{{nbsp}}z}}.

=== Symbols ===
Unicode symbols are preferred over composed [[ASCII]] symbols for improved readability and accessibility. Be mindful of presentations that may require ASCII, like [[sourcecode]]. Keys for these symbols can be found at the bottom of the [[WP:Source Editor|Source Editor]].
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Symbol
|-
! Composed <br> ASCII symbol !! Preferred <br> replacement 
|-
| {{code|
-->}} || →
|-
| {{code|<--}} || ←
|-
| {{code|<--> }} or {{code|<->}}||  ↔ 
|-
| {{code|^}}||  ↑
|-
| <code> >= </code> || ≥ 
|-
| <code>&lt;=</code>|| ≤ 
|-
| <code>~=</code> || ≈ 
|}

===Number (pound, hash) sign and numero<span class="anchor" id="Number signs"></span><span class="anchor" id="Number sign"></span>===
{{Shortcut|MOS:NUMBERSIGN|MOS:NUMERO|MOS:HASH|MOS:POUND}}
{{For|pound sterling and other currency symbols|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers#Currencies and monetary values}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers}}

Avoid using the [[Number sign|{{!xt|#}}]] symbol (known as the [[number sign]], hash sign, pound sign, or octothorpe) when referring to numbers or rankings. Instead write {{xt|number}}, {{xt|No.}} or {{xt|Nos.}}; do not use the symbol [[Numero sign|{{!xt|№}}]]. For example:
{| role="presentation" style="margin:0.2em 0 0.5em 1.6em; background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| style="padding-right:1em" | {{em|Incorrect:}}
| {{!xt|Her album reached #1 in the UK albums chart.}}
|-
| style="padding-right:1em" | {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|Her album reached number one in the UK albums chart.}}
|-
| style="padding-right:1em" | {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|Her album reached {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 1 in the UK albums chart.}}
|-
| style="padding-right:1em" | {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|Her albums ''Foo'' and ''Bar'' reached {{abbr|Nos.|Numbers}} 1 and 3.}}
|-
| style="padding-right:1em" | {{em|Correct:}}
| {{xt|Her albums ''Foo'' and ''Bar'' reached numbers one and three in the UK albums chart.}}
|}

An exception is issue numbers of comic books, which unlike for other periodicals are conventionally given in general text in the form {{xt|#1}}, unless a volume is also given, in which case write {{xt|volume two, number seven}} or {{xt|{{Abbr|Vol.|Volume}} 2, {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 7}}. Another exception are periodical publications carrying both, issue ''and'' number designations (typically one being a year-relative and the other an absolute value); they should be given in the form {{xt|2 #143}} in citations, or be spelt out as
{{xt|{{Abbr|Iss.|Issue}} 2, {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 143}} in text. When using the [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Abbreviations|abbreviations]], write {{xt|<code><nowiki>{{abbr|Vol.|Volume}}</nowiki></code>}}, {{xt|<code><nowiki>{{abbr|Iss.|Issue}}</nowiki></code>}}, {{xt|<code><nowiki>{{abbr|No.|Number}}</nowiki></code>}}, or {{xt|<code><nowiki>{{abbr|Nos.|Numbers}}</nowiki></code>}}, at first occurrence.

===Terminal punctuation<span id="Punctuation at the end of a sentence"></span>===
{{redirect|MOS:PERIOD|periods of time|MOS:DATERANGE}}
{{Shortcut|MOS:FULLSTOP|MOS:EXCLAMATION|MOS:PERIOD}}
*Exclamation and question marks have almost no application in encyclopedic writing.
*For the use of three periods in succession, see {{section link||Ellipses}}.
*In some contexts, no terminal punctuation is necessary. In such cases, the sentence often does not start with a capital letter. See {{section link||Quotations}} and {{section link||Quotation marks}}.
*[[Sentence fragment]]s in captions or lists should in most cases not end with a period. See {{section link||Formatting of captions}} and {{section link||Bulleted and numbered lists}}.

===Spacing<span id="Spaces following terminal punctuation"></span>===
{{Shortcut|MOS:DOUBLESPACE|MOS:PUNCTSPACE}}

In normal text, never put a space before a comma, semicolon, colon, period/full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark (even in quoted material; see {{section link||Typographic conformity}}).

Some editors place two spaces after a period/full stop ({{crossref|pw=y|see [[Sentence spacing]]}}); these are condensed to one space when the page is rendered, so it does not affect what readers see.

===Consecutive punctuation marks===
{{Shortcut|MOS:CONSECUTIVE}}

Where a word or phrase that includes terminal punctuation ends a sentence, do not add a second terminal punctuation mark. If a quoted phrase or title ends in a question mark or exclamation mark, it may confuse readers as to the nature of the article sentence containing it, and so is usually better reworded to be mid-sentence. Where such a word or phrase occurs mid-sentence, new terminal punctuation (usually a period) must be added at the end.

{| role="presentation" style="margin:0.2em 0 0.5em 1.6em; background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| {{em|Incorrect:}} || {{!xt|Slovak returned to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1985 after growing tired of What Is This?.}}
|-
| {{em|Acceptable}}: || {{xt|Slovak returned to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1985 after growing tired of What Is This?}}
|-
| {{em|Better}}: || {{xt|Slovak, having grown tired of What Is This?, returned to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1985.}}
|-
| {{em|Incorrect:}} || {{!xt|He made several films with Sammy Davis Jr..}}
|-
| {{em|Correct:}} || {{xt|He made several films with Sammy Davis Jr.}}
|}

===Punctuation and footnotes===
{{Shortcut|MOS:CITEPUNCT|MOS:PUNCTFOOT|MOS:REFPUNCT|MOS:PUNCTREF|MOS:REFSPACE|MOS:PF}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:Citing sources}}
'''Reference tags''' ({{tag|ref}}) are used to create ''[[Help:Footnotes|footnotes]]'' (also called ''endnotes'' or simply ''notes''), as [[Wikipedia:Citing sources#Inline citations|citation footnotes]] and sometimes [[Help:Explanatory notes|explanatory notes]]. All reference tags should <em>immediately</em> follow the text to which the footnote applies, with no intervening space.{{efn|In unusual cases where a lack of spacing could create confusion, such as when a citation is immediately preceded by other superscripted text, a [[hair space]] can be inserted between a {{tag|ref}} tag and the content preceding it.}} Apart from the exceptions listed below, references are placed <em>after</em> adjacent punctuation, not before. Adjacent reference tags should have no space between them, nor should there be any between tags and [[:Category:Inline templates|inline dispute and cleanup templates]].

When reference tags are used, a [[Help:Footnotes#Creating the footnote list|footnote list]] must be added, and this is usually placed in the [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Layout#Notes and references|References]] section, near the end of the article in the [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Layout#Standard appendices and footers|standard appendices and footers]].

*<em>Example</em>: [[Flightless bird]]s have a reduced [[Keel (bird anatomy)|keel]],{{Dummy ref|10}} and they also have smaller wing bones than flying birds of similar size.{{Dummy ref|11}}{{Dummy ref|12}}

'''Exceptions''': Reference tags are placed <em>before</em> dashes, not after. If a footnote applies only to material within parentheses, the tags belong just before the closing parenthesis.
*<em>Example</em>: Paris is not the capital city of England{{snd}}the capital of which is London{{Dummy ref|10}}{{snd}}but that of France.{{Dummy ref|11}}
*<em>Example</em>: Kim Jong-un (Korean: {{lang|ko|김정은}}; Hanja: {{lang|ko-Hani|金正恩}}{{Dummy ref|10}}) is the [[Supreme Leader (North Korean title)|Supreme Leader of North Korea]].{{Dummy ref|11}}

===Punctuation after formulae===
Sentences should place punctuation after mathematical formulae as if they were normal body text. See {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Mathematics|Punctuation after formulae}}.