UniWiki:Manual of Style: Difference between revisions

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Always insert hard/thin spaces symbolically (<code>&nbsp;</code>, <code>&thinsp;</code>), never by entering them as literal Unicode characters entered directly from the keyboard.

== Punctuation ==

=== Apostrophes ===

* Consistent use of the ''straight'' [[apostrophe]] ({{xt| {{big|'}} }}) is recommended, as opposed to the ''curly'' apostrophe ({{!xt| {{big|‘ ’}} }}). For details and reasons, see {{section link||Quotation marks}}, below.

*Where an apostrophe might otherwise be misinterpreted as Wiki markup, use the templates {{tn|'}}, {{tn|`}}, and {{tn|'s}}, or use {{xtag|nowiki}} tags, or use <code>&apos;</code> entity.

*Foreign characters that resemble apostrophes, such as transliterated Arabic [[ayin]] ({{xt| {{big|ʿ}} }}) and [[aleph|alif]] ({{xt| {{big|ʾ}} }}), are represented by their correct Unicode characters (that is, U+02BF MODIFIER LETTER LEFT HALF RING and U+02BE MODIFIER LETTER RIGHT HALF RING respectively), despite possible display problems. If this is not feasible, use a straight apostrophe instead.

*For usage of the possessive apostrophe, see {{section link||Possessives}}, below.

*For a thorough treatment of all uses of the apostrophe (possessive, elision, formation of certain plurals, specific foreign-language issues) see the article [[Apostrophe]].

=== Quotation marks ===

{{redirect|MOS:QUOTEMARKS|the guideline on the use of quotation marks in titles of works in particular|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Titles#Quotation marks}}

The primary use of quotation marks is to identify and enclose speech or text which is reported [[wiktionary:verbatim|verbatim]]. The term ''quotation'' in the material below also includes other uses of quotation marks such as those for titles of songs, chapters, episodes, unattributable aphorisms, [[String (computer science)|literal strings]], "[[Scare quotes|scare-quoted]]" phrases, and constructed examples. Quotation marks existing in other sources should be changed to match the format described below when being brought into Wikipedia.

; {{vanchor|Double or single}}{{anchor|Double or single quotation marks}}

: Enclose quotations with double quotation marks ({{xt|Bob said, "Jim ate the apple."}}). Enclose quotations inside quotations with single quotation marks ({{xt|Bob said, "Did Jim say 'I ate the apple' after he left?"}}). This is by far the dominant convention in current practice. However, there are some conventional codified exceptions, such as:

:* {{vanchor|Single quotation marks}} are used for plant cultivars ({{xt|''Malus domestica'' 'Golden Delicious'}}; see [[WP:Naming conventions (flora)]]).

:* [[Gloss (annotation)#In linguistics|Simple glosses]] that translate or define unfamiliar terms are usually enclosed in single quotes ({{xt|''Cossack'' comes from the Turkic ''qazaq'', 'freebooter'}}).

; {{vanchor|Article openings}}{{anchor|Quotation marks in article openings}}

: 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 ...}}).

:* Quotation marks ''not'' part of the article title should not be bolded (from [[Jabberwocky]]: {{xt|"'''Jabberwocky'''" is a nonsense poem ...}}; from [[Bill Clinton]]: {{xt|'''William Jefferson''' "'''Bill'''" '''Clinton''' is an American politician ...}}).

; {{vanchor|Block quotations}}{{anchor|Block quotes}}

: As noted in {{section link||Quotations}} (above), we use quotation marks or block quotes (not both) to distinguish long quotations from other text. Multiparagraph quotations are always block-quoted. The quotations must be precise and exactly as in the source (except for certain {{em|allowable typographical changes}}, also noted [[#Typographic conformity|above]]). The source should be cited clearly and precisely to enable readers to locate the text in question, and to quote it accurately themselves from Wikipedia.

; {{vanchor|Punctuation before quotations}}

: The use of a comma before a quotation embedded within a sentence is optional, if a non-quoted but otherwise identical construction would work grammatically without the comma:

:* {{xt|The report stated "There was a 45% reduction in transmission rate."}} (Compare 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 or interrupted quotations:

:* {{xt|Free will was central to Anaïs Nin's experience of life, which she wrote "shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."}}

:* {{xt|"Life", Anaïs Nin wrote, "shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."}}

: A comma is required when it would be present in the same constructions 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 some children.)

:* {{!xt|Caitlyn Jenner expressed concerns about children, "who are coming to terms with being true to who they are".}} (Misrepresentation, as a statement about all children.)

: 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|Albert Einstein wrote: "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."}}

: No additional punctuation is necessary for an explicit [[MOS:WORDSASWORDS|words-as-words]] scenario:

:* {{xt|The message was unintelligible except for the fragments "help soon" and "how much longer before".}}

; {{vanchor|Quotation characters}}

: {{Shortcut|MOS:CURLY|MOS:CQ}}There are two possible methods for rendering quotation marks at Wikipedia (that is, the [[Quotation mark glyphs|glyphs]], displayed with emphasis here, for clarity):

:* [[Quotation mark glyphs#Typewriter quotation marks|Typewriter]] or straight style: {{xt|{{big|'''"'''}}text{{big|'''"'''}}}}, {{xt|{{big|'''{{`}}'''}}text{{big|'''{{`}}'''}}}} ('''recommended for Wikipedia''')

:* [[Quotation mark glyphs#Quotation marks in English|Typographic]] or curly style: {{!xt|{{big|'''“'''}}text{{big|'''”'''}}}}, {{!xt|{{big|'''‘'''}}text{{big|'''’'''}}}} ('''not recommended for Wikipedia''' – see [[#Quotation mark rationales|below]])

: Whenever quotation marks or apostrophes appear in article titles, make a redirect from the same title but using the alternative glyphs.

: Do not use [[grave accent|grave]] and [[acute accent]]s or backticks ({{!xt|{{big|'''`'''}}text{{big|'''´'''}}}}) as quotation marks (or as apostrophes). Likewise, avoid using the low-high ({{!xt|„ “}}) or [[guillemet]] ({{!xt|« »}}) quotation marks that are common in [[Non-English usage of quotation marks|several foreign languages]]. Editors may see {{!xt|′}} and {{!xt|″}} under the edit window as characters available for insertion; however, these are [[prime (symbol)|prime]] and double-prime symbols, used to indicate subdivisions of the [[degree (angle)|degree]], and should not be used to mark quotations.

==== Reasons to prefer straight quotation marks and apostrophes ====

Typographical, or curly, quotation marks and apostrophes might be read more efficiently, and many think they look better. However, for practical reasons the straight versions are used on the English Wikipedia.

* '''Consistency keeps searches predictable.''' Search facilities have differences of which many readers (and editors) are unaware. For example, most modern browsers don't distinguish between curly and straight marks, but Internet Explorer still does (as of 2016), so that a search for {{xt|Alzheimer's disease}} will fail to find {{!xt|Alzheimer’s disease}} and vice versa.

* '''Straight quotation marks''' are easier to type and edit reliably on most platforms.

==== Reasons to prefer double quotation marks to single quotation marks ====

Normally, double rather than single quotation marks should be used for primary or top-level quotations.

* '''Double quotation marks''' are 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)

* Most browsers distinguish single and double quotation marks. (Searches for {{xt|"must see" attractions}} may fail to find {{!xt|'must see' attractions}}.)

==== Names and titles ====

Quotation marks should be used for the following names and titles:

{|

|

* Articles and chapters (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, oratorios italicized)

* Individual episodes of television and radio series and [[Serial (radio and television)|serials]] (series title italicized)

|}

For example: The song "Example" from the album ''Example'' by the band Example.

Do not use quotation marks or italics for:

{|

|

* 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 ====

{{hatnote|"Wikipedia:TQ" redirects here. For the Teahouse, a forum for new editors to receive greetings and feedback, see [[Wikipedia:Teahouse]].}}

On the English Wikipedia, 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.

: {{tq|Did Darla say, "There I am"?}} (mark applies to whole sentence)

: {{tq|No, she said, "Where am I?"}} (mark applies to quoted material only)

If the quotation is a full sentence and it coincides with the end of the sentence containing it, place terminal punctuation inside the closing quotation mark. If the quotation is a single word or fragment, place the terminal punctuation outside.

: {{tq|Marlin said: "I need to find Nemo."}}

: {{tq|Marlin needed, he said, "to find Nemo".}}

If the quoted sentence has been broken up with an editorial insertion, still include the terminal punctuation inside the closing quotation mark.

: {{tq|"I need", said Marlin, "to find Nemo."}}

If the quoted sentence is followed by a [[clause]] that should be preceded by a comma, omit the [[full stop]] but other terminal punctuation, such as a question mark or exclamation mark, may be retained. A question should always end with a question mark.

: {{tq|Dory said, "Yes, I can read", which gave Marlin an idea.}}

: {{tq|Dory said, "Yes, I can read!", which gave Marlin an idea.}}

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 question marks.

: {{tq|"Why are you sleeping?", asked Darla.}}

: {{tq|"Fish are friends, not food", said Bruce.}}

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.

: {{tq|"Fish are friends," said Bruce, "not food."}}

: {{tq|"Why", asked Darla, "are you sleeping?"}}

=== Brackets and parentheses ===

The rules in this section apply to both round brackets {{xt|( )}}, often called [[Bracket|parentheses]], and square brackets {{xt|[ ]}}.

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. (For examples, see {{section link||Sentences and brackets}}, below.) There should be no space next to the inner side of a bracket. An opening bracket should usually be preceded by a space, for example. 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) ... 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].}}

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.

If sets of brackets are nested, use different types for adjacent levels of nesting; for two levels, it is customary to have square brackets appear within round brackets. This is often a sign of excessively convoluted expression; it is often better to recast, linking the thoughts with commas, semicolons, colons, or dashes.

Avoid adjacent sets of brackets. Either put the parenthetic phrases in one set separated by commas, or rewrite the sentence:

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| {{em|Incorrect}}:    || {{!xt|Nikifor Grigoriev (c. 1885–1919) (also known as Matviy Hryhoriyiv) was a Ukrainian insurgent leader.}}

|-

| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|Nikifor Grigoriev (c. 1885–1919, also known as Matviy Hryhoriyiv) was a Ukrainian insurgent leader.}}

|-

| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|Nikifor Grigoriev (c. 1885–1919) was a Ukrainian insurgent leader. He was also known as Matviy Hryhoriyiv.}}

|}

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 (...) is used to indicate that material is removed from a direct quotation, it should not normally be bracketed (see {{section link||Ellipses}}, below).

* 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"}}.)

==== Sentences and brackets ====

* If any sentence includes material that is enclosed in square or round brackets, it still must end—with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation mark—{{em|after}} those brackets. This principle applies no matter what punctuation is used within the brackets:

:: {{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. (This sentence is an example.) This does not apply to matter that is added (or modified editorially) at the beginning of a sentence for clarity, which is usually in square brackets:

:: {{xt|"[Principal Skinner] already told me that", he objected.}}

: That is preferable to this, which is potentially ambiguous:

:: {{!xt|"He already told me that", he objected.}}

: But even here consider an addition rather than a replacement of text:

:: {{xt|"He [Principal Skinner] already told me that", he objected.}}

* A sentence that occurs within brackets in the course of another sentence does not generally have its first word capitalized just because it starts a sentence. The enclosed sentence may have a question mark or exclamation mark added, but not a period. See the indented example above and also

:: {{xt|Alexander then conquered (who would have believed it?) most of the known world.}}

:: {{xt|Clare demanded that he drive (she knew he hated driving) to the supermarket.}}

: It is often clearer to separate the thoughts into separate sentences or clauses:

:: {{xt|Alexander then conquered most of the known world. Who would have believed it?}}

:: {{xt|Clare demanded that he drive to the supermarket; she knew he hated driving.}}

==== Brackets and linking ====

Brackets inside of links require special handling:

{| class="wikitable"

| style="width:70%;" | <pre style="margin:0px; white-space:normal;">He said, "[[John Doe|John &#91;Doe&#93;]] answered."</pre> ||

He said, "[[John Doe|John [Doe]]] answered."

|-

| <pre style="margin:0px; white-space:normal;">He said, "[[John Doe|John {{bracket|Doe}}]] answered."</pre> ||

He said, "[[John Doe|John {{bracket|Doe}}]] answered."

|-

| <pre style="margin:0px; white-space:normal;">[<nowiki>http://</nowiki>example.site On the first day &#91;etc.&#93;]</pre> ||

[http://example.site On the first day [etc.]]

|-

| <pre style="margin:0px; white-space:normal;">[<nowiki>http://example.site On the first day {{bracket|etc.}}</nowiki>]</pre> ||

[http://example.site 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 {{nobreak|1=<code><nowiki>http://</nowiki>example.site/foo.php?query={{bxt|%5B}}xxx{{bxt|%5D}}yyy</code>}}, rather than ...<code>query={{!bxt|[}}xxx{{!bxt|]}}yyy</code>. This will avoid truncation of the link after <code>xxx</code>.

=== Ellipses ===

Use an ''[[ellipsis]]'' (plural ''ellipses'') to indicate an omission of material from quoted text or some other omission, perhaps of the end of a sentence, often in a printed record of conversation. The ellipsis is represented by ''ellipsis points'': a set of three dots.

; {{anchor|Ellipsis style}}Style

: Ellipsis points, or ellipses, have traditionally been implemented in three ways:

:* '''Three unspaced periods''' ({{xt|...}}). This is the easiest way and gives a predictable appearance in HTML. {{em|Recommended.}}

:* '''Pre-composed ellipsis character''' ({{!xt|…}}) generated with the <code>&hellip;</code> character entity or as a literal "<code>…</code>". This is harder to input and edit and too small in some fonts. {{em|Not recommended.}}

:* '''Three periods separated by spaces''' ({{!xt|. . .}}). This is an older style that is unnecessarily wide and requires non-breaking spaces to keep it from breaking at the end of a line. {{em|Not recommended.}}

; {{anchor|Ellipsis function and implementation}}Function and implementation

: Use an ellipsis if material is omitted in the course of a quotation, unless square brackets are used to [[Gloss (annotation)|gloss]] the quotation {{crossref|(see {{section link||Brackets and parentheses}}, above, and the points below)}}.

:* Put a space on each side of an ellipsis ({{xt|"France, Germany, ... and Belgium"}}), except that there should be no space between an ellipsis and

:** a quotation mark directly following the ellipsis ({{xt|"France, Germany, and Belgium ..."}}).

:** any (round, square, curly, etc.) bracket, where the ellipsis is on the inside ({{xt|"France, Germany (but not Berlin, Munich, ...), and Belgium"}}).

:** any [[#Terminal punctuation|terminal punctuation]], colon, semicolon, or comma, directly following the ellipsis ({{xt|"Are we going to France ...?"}}).

:* Place terminal punctuation after an ellipsis only if it is textually important (as is often the case with exclamation marks and question marks and rarely with periods).

:* Use non-breaking spaces (<code>&nbsp;</code>) as needed to prevent improper line breaks, for example,

:** to keep a quotation mark (and any adjacent punctuation) from being separated from the start or end of the quotation ({{xt|"...<code>&nbsp;</code>we are still worried"}}; {{xt|"Are we going to France<code>&nbsp;</code>...?"}}).

:** to keep the ellipsis from wrapping to the next line ({{xt|"France, Germany,<code>&nbsp;</code>... and Belgium"}}, not {{!xt|"France, Germany,<code>&nbsp;</code>...<code>&nbsp;</code>and Belgium"}}).

; {{visible anchor|Pause or suspension of speech}}

: Three periods (loosely also called ''ellipsis points'') 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 ...? No, I cannot believe it!"}}. Avoid this usage except in direct quotations. 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

: An ellipsis does not normally need square brackets around it, because its function is usually obvious—especially if the guidelines above are followed. Square brackets, however, may optionally be used for precision, to make it clear that the ellipsis is not itself quoted; this is usually only necessary if the quoted passage also uses three periods in it to indicate a pause or suspension. The ellipsis should follow exactly the principles given above but with square brackets inserted immediately before and after it ({{xt|Her long rant continued: "How do I feel? How do you {{em|think}} I ... look, this has gone far enough! [...] I want to go home!"}}).

=== Commas ===

[[Comma]]s are the most frequently used punctuation marks and can be the most difficult to use well. Some important points regarding their use follow below and at {{section link||Semicolons}}.

* Pairs of commas are used to delimit parenthetic material, forming an [[Apposition|appositive]]. Using commas in this way interrupts a sentence less than using round brackets or dashes to express parenthetical material. When inserting parenthetical material in a sentence, use two commas, or none at all. For example:

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| {{em|Incorrect}}: || {{!xt|John Smith, Janet Cooper's son is a well-known playwright.}}

|-

| {{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)

|}

* Do not be fooled by other punctuation, which can distract from the need for a comma, especially when it collides with a bracket or parenthesis, as in this example:

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| {{em|Incorrect}}: || {{!xt|Burke and Wills, fed by locals (on beans, fish, and ''ngardu'') survived for a few months.}}

|-

| {{em|Correct}}:    || {{xt|Burke and Wills, fed by locals (on beans, fish, and ''ngardu''), survived for a few months.}}

|}

* Modern writing uses fewer commas; there are usually ways to simplify a sentence so that fewer are needed.

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| {{em|Awkward}}: || {{!xt|Mozart was, along with the Haydns, both Joseph and Michael, and also Beethoven, one of Schubert's heroes.}}

|-

| {{em|Much better}}:    || {{xt|Schubert's heroes included Mozart, Beethoven, and Joseph and Michael Haydn.}}

|}

* 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 other punctuation. [[MOS:DATEFORMAT|Dates]] in month–day–year format require a comma after the day, as well as after the year, unless followed by other punctuation. In both cases, the last element is treated as [[Wikipedia:Basic copyediting#Parenthetical comma|parenthetical]].

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| {{em|Incorrect}}: || {{!xt|He set October 1, 2011 as the deadline for Chattanooga, Oklahoma to meet his demands.}}

|-

| {{em|Correct}}:    || {{xt|He set October 1, 2011, as the deadline for Chattanooga, Oklahoma, to meet his demands.}}

|}

* On Wikipedia, place quotation marks by following the system [[#Punctuation inside or outside|described below]]. This is called "logical quotation" (see also {{section link||Punctuation inside or outside quotation marks}}).

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| {{em|Incorrect}}: || {{!xt|She said, "Punctuation styles on Wikipedia change too often," and made other complaints.}}

|-

| {{em|Correct}}:    || {{xt|She said, "Punctuation styles on Wikipedia change too often", and made other complaints.}}

|}

* A comma may be included before a quotation embedded within a sentence (see {{section link||Quotation marks}} above).

==== Serial commas ====

A [[serial comma]] (also known as an ''Oxford comma'' or a ''Harvard comma'') is a comma used immediately before a conjunction (''and'' or ''or'', sometimes ''nor'') in a list of three or more items: the phrase {{xt|ham, chips, and eggs}} includes a serial comma, while {{xt|ham, chips and eggs}} omits it. Editors may use either convention so long as each article is internally consistent; however, there are times when the serial comma can create or remove confusion:

*Sometimes omitting the comma can lead to ambiguity:

::{{!xt|The author thanked her parents, Sinéad O'Connor and President Obama}}, which may list either four people (the two parents and the two people named) or two people (O'Connor and Obama, who are the parents).

*Including the comma can also cause ambiguity:

::{{!xt|The author thanked her mother, Sinéad O'Connor, and President Obama}}, which may list either two people (O'Connor, who is the mother, and Obama) or three people (the first being the mother, the second O'Connor, and the third Obama).

In such cases of ambiguity, there are three ways to clarify:

* Add or remove the serial comma.

* Use paragraph breaks, bullet lists, or numbered paragraphs to clarify.

*Recast the sentence (first example above):

** To list four people: {{xt|The author thanked President Obama, Sinéad O'Connor, and her parents.}}

** To list two people (the commas here set off non-restrictive [[apposition|appositives]]): {{xt|The author thanked her father, President Obama, and her mother, Sinéad O'Connor.}}

**: Clearer (but wordier): {{xt|The author thanked her father and her mother, who are President Obama and Sinéad O'Connor respectively.}}

*Recast the sentence (second example above):

** To list two people: {{xt|The author thanked President Obama and her mother, Sinéad O'Connor.}}

** To list three people: {{xt|The author thanked her mother, President Obama, and Sinéad O'Connor.}}

**: The clarity of the last example depends on the reader knowing that Obama is male and cannot be a mother. If we change the example slightly, we are back to an ambiguous statement: {{!xt|The author thanked her mother, Irish President Mary McAleese, and Sinéad O'Connor.}}

**: Clearer: {{xt|The author thanked President Obama, Sinéad O'Connor, and her mother}}; or {{xt|The author thanked President Mary McAleese, Sinéad O'Connor, and her mother}}.

=== Colons ===

A [[Colon (punctuation)|colon]] ({{xt|:}}) informs the reader that what comes after it 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:

: {{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 (see {{section link||Quotation marks}} above).

In most cases a colon works best with a complete grammatical sentence before it. There are exceptional cases, such as those where the colon introduces items set off in new lines like the very next colon here. Examples:

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|He attempted it in two years: 1941 and 1943.}}

|-

| {{em|Incorrect}}:    || {{!xt|The years he attempted it included: 1941 and 1943.}}

|-

| {{em|Correct (special case)}}:    || {{xt|Spanish, Portuguese, French: these, with a few others, are the West Romance languages.}}

|}

Sometimes (more in American than in British usage) the word following a colon is capitalized, if that word effectively begins a new grammatical sentence, and especially if the colon serves to introduce more than one sentence:

: {{xt|The argument is easily stated: We have been given only three tickets. There are four of us here: you, the twins, and me. The twins are inseparable. Therefore, you or I will have to stay home.}}

No sentence should contain more than one colon. There should never be a hyphen or a dash immediately following a colon. Only a single space follows a colon.

=== Semicolons ===

{{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.

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|Though he had been here before, I did not recognize him.}}

|-

| {{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.

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|Oranges are an acid fruit; bananas are classified as alkaline.}}

|-

| {{em|Incorrect}}:    || {{!xt|Oranges are an acid fruit, bananas are classified as alkaline.}}

|}

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

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| {{em|Accepted}}: || {{xt|"Life is short, art is long."}} (citing a brief [[aphorism]]; see ''[[Ars longa, vita brevis]]'')

|-

| {{em|Accepted}}: || {{xt|"I have studied it, you have not."}} (reporting brisk conversation, like 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.

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| {{em|Unwieldy}}: || {{!xt|Oranges are an acid fruit; bananas are classified as alkaline; pears are close to neutral; these distinctions are rarely discussed.}}

|-

| {{em|One better way}}:    || {{xt|Oranges are an acid 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.

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| {{em|Confusing}}:   || {{!xt|Sales offices are located in Boston, Massachusetts, San Francisco, California, Singapore, and Millbank, London, England.}}

|-

| {{em|Clear}}: || {{xt|Sales offices are located in Boston, Massachusetts; San Francisco, California; Singapore; and Millbank, London, England.}}

|}

As seen in the examples above, a semicolon does not automatically require the word that follows it to be capitalized.

==== Semicolon before "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:

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| || {{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:

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| || {{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:

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| || {{xt|However they tried, it was obvious they could not convert these people.}}

|-

| {{em|Meaning}}: || {{xt|Regardless of how hard 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", which 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:

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| || {{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 ===

[[Hyphen]]s ({{xt|-}}) indicate conjunction. There are three main uses:

# In hyphenated personal names: {{xt|John Lennard-Jones}}.

# 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}}), particularly in American English. British English tends to hyphenate 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}}). American English reflects the same factors, but is more likely to close up without a hyphen. Consult [[Comparison of English dictionaries|a good dictionary]], and see ''[[#National varieties of English|National varieties of English]]'' above.

# To link related terms in [[compound modifier]]s:{{Efn|Specifically, compound [[attributive]]s, which are modifiers of a noun that occur within the [[noun phrase]]. (See [[English compound#Hyphenated compound modifiers|hyphenated compound modifiers]].)}}

#* Hyphens can help with ease of reading ({{xt|face-to-face discussion}}, {{xt|hard-boiled egg}}); where non-experts are part of the readership, a hyphen is particularly useful in long noun phrases, such as those in Wikipedia's scientific articles: {{xt|gas-phase reaction dynamics}}. However, hyphens are never inserted into proper names in compounds ({{xt|Middle Eastern cuisine}}, not {{!xt|Middle-Eastern cuisine}}).

#* A hyphen can help to disambiguate ({{xt|little-celebrated paintings}} is not a reference to little paintings; {{xt|a government-monitoring program}} is a program that monitors the government, whereas {{xt|a government monitoring program}} is a government program that monitors something else).

#* Many 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 {{em|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, a hyphen may optionally 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 culture}} → {{xt|native Hawaiian culture}}.

#* 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 be added to improve clarity if a rewritten alternative is awkward. Rewording is 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 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, like {{xt|diode–transistor logic}}, the independent status of the linked elements requires an en dash instead of a hyphen. See [[#En dashes|En dashes]] below.

#* Use 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}}, but better is {{xt|sloping rightward 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>&nbsp;</code>).

:::{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| {{em|Incorrect}}: || {{!xt|9-mm gap}}

|-

| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|9 mm gap}} (''Markup:'' <code>9&nbsp;mm gap</code>)

|-

| {{em|Incorrect}}:    || {{!xt|9 millimetre gap}}

|-

| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|9-millimetre gap}}

|-

| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|12-hour shift}}

|-

| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|12 h shift}}

|}

'''Multi-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 6 hectares (14.8 acres)}}, and the ungainly {{!xt|4.9-mile (7.9 km) -long tributary}} as simply {{xt|4.9-mile (7.9 km) tributary}}).

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

Do not use a capital letter after a hyphen except for a proper name: {{xt|Graeco-Roman}} and {{xt|Mediterranean-style}}, but not {{!xt|Gandhi-Like}}. In titles of published works, follow the capitalization rule for each part independently (resulting in, e.g., {{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 (see above) or when used to display parts of words independently, such as the prefix {{xt|sub-}} and the suffix {{xt|‑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 always 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]]}}, because the latter title, although correct, is harder to search for.

'''Non-breaking:''' A non-breaking hyphen (<code>&#8209;</code> or {{tlx|nbhyph}}) will {{em|not}} be used as a point of line-wrap.

'''Soft hyphens:''' Use a [[soft hyphen]] to indicate {{em|optional}} locations where a word may be broken and hyphenated at the end of a line of text. Use of soft hyphens should be limited to special cases, usually involving [[Longest English words|very long words]] or narrow spaces (such as captions in tight page layouts, or column labels in narrow tables). Widespread use of soft hyphens is strongly discouraged, because it makes the wikitext very difficult to read and to edit (for example, <code>This Wi&shy;ki&shy;source ex&shy;am&shy;ple is dif&shy;fi&shy;cult to un&shy;der&shy;stand</code>). An alternative syntax improves readability:

:<code><nowiki>{{shy|This al|ter|na|tive syn|tax im|proves read|a|bil|ity}}</nowiki></code>

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

=== Dashes ===

{{shortcut|MOS:DASH|WP:MOSDASH|MOS:EMDASH|MOS:MDASH|MOS:ENDASH|MOS:NDASH}}

Two forms of dash are used on Wikipedia: '''[[en dash]]''' ({{xt|–}}) and '''[[em dash]]''' ({{xt|—}}). Enter them as <code>&ndash;</code> or <code>&mdash;</code>; or click on them to the right of the "Insert" dropdown beneath the edit window. Do not substitute a double hyphen (<code>--</code>).

* 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 dashe(s), as in [[eye-hand span]]. Similarly, provide [[Template:Category redirect|Category redirects]] for categories containing dashes.

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

==== Punctuating a sentence (em or en dashes) ====

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 direct speech.

In all these cases, use either ''unspaced'' em dashes or ''spaced'' en dashes, with consistency in any one article:

*An em dash is always ''unspaced'' (that is, without a space on either side):

:: {{xt|Another "planet" was detected—but it was later found to be a moon of Saturn.}}

*An en dash is ''spaced'' (that is, with a space on either side) when used as sentence punctuation:

:: {{xt|Another "planet" was detected{{spaced ndash}}but it was later found to be a moon of Saturn.}}

:Ideally, use {{tlx|spaced ndash}} or {{tlx|snd}} (which prevents the en dash from occurring at the beginning of a line):

:: <code><nowiki>Another "planet" was detected{{spaced ndash}}but it was later found to be a moon of Saturn.</nowiki></code>

:But do not use {{tlx|spaced ndash}} or {{tlx|snd}} where the en dash is unspaced (see {{section link||Other uses (en dash only)}}, below).

Dashes can clarify the sentence structure when there are already commas or parentheses, or both.

* {{xt|We read them in chronological order: Descartes, Locke, Hume—but not his ''Treatise'' (it is too complex)—and Kant.}}

Use dashes sparingly. More than two in a single sentence makes the structure unclear; it takes time for the reader to see which dashes, if any, form a pair.

* {{xt|The birds—at least the ones Darwin collected—had red and blue feathers.}}

* {{xt|"Where is the—", she began, but the line went dead.}}

* Avoid: {{!xt|First—and most spectacularly—came the bishops—then the other clergy.}} Better: {{xt|First—and most spectacularly—came the bishops, who were followed by the other clergy.}}

==== Other uses (en dash only) ====

The [[en dash]] (–) has other roles, beyond its use as a sentence-punctuating dash (see immediately above). It is often analogous to the hyphen (see {{section link||Hyphens}}, above), which {{em|joins components}} more strongly than the en dash; or to the slash (see the section [[#Slashes|below]]), which {{em|separates alternatives}} more definitely. Consider the exact meaning when choosing which to use.

===== In ranges that might otherwise be expressed with ''to'' or ''through'' =====

{{hatnote|Here the ranges are 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}}.}}

{{hatnote|A change from a general preference for two digits, to a general preference for four digits, on the right side of ''year{{ndash}}year'' ranges was implemented in July 2016 per [[Special:Permalink/731874769#WP:DATERANGE ambiguity and stylistic concerns|this RFC]]. For more information see [[MOS:DATERANGE]].}}

* {{xt|pp. 7–19}};   {{xt|64–75%}};   {{xt|Henry VIII reigned 1509–1547}}

Do not change hyphens to dashes in filenames, [[URL]]s or templates like {{tlx|Bibleverse}}, which formats verse ranges into URLs.

Do not mix en dashes with prepositions like ''between'' and ''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}}

If negative values are involved, an en dash might be confusing. Use words instead.

* {{xt|−10 to 10}}, not {{!xt|−10–10}}

The en dash in a range is always unspaced, except when either or both elements of the range include at least one space.

* {{nobr| {{xt|July 23, 1790 – December 1, 1791}}}} (not {{nobr| {{!xt|July 23, 1790–December 1, 1791}}}})

* {{nobr| {{xt|14 May – 2 August 2011}}}} (not {{nobr| {{!xt|14 May–2 August 2011}}}})

* {{nobr| {{xt|1–17 September}}}};   {{nobr| {{xt|February–October 2009}}}};   {{nobr| {{xt|1492 – 7 April 1556}}}}

* {{nobr| {{xt|Christmas Day – New Year's Eve}}}};   {{nobr| {{xt|Christmas 2001 – Easter 2002}}}};   {{nobr| {{xt|10:30 pm Tuesday – 1:25 am Wednesday}}}};   {{nobr| {{xt|6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.}}}} (but {{nobr| {{xt|6:00–9:30 p.m.}}}})

* {{xt|wavelengths in the range {{nobr| 28 mm – 17 m.}}}}

===== In compounds when the connection might otherwise be expressed with ''to'', ''versus'', ''and'', or ''between'' =====

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}};   {{xt|the Paris–Montpellier route}};   {{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}};   {{xt|a 22–17 majority vote}};   but prefer spelling out when using words instead of numerals: {{xt|a six-to-two majority decision}}, not the awkward {{!xt|a six–two majority decision}};  avoid confusingly reversed order: {{!xt|a 17–22 majority vote}}{{efn|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}};   {{xt|a 60–40 split}};   avoid using a slash here, which indicates division

* {{xt|the Uganda–Tanzania War}};   {{xt|the Roman–Syrian War}};   {{xt|the east–west runway}};   {{xt|the Lincoln–Douglas debates}};   {{xt|a carbon–carbon bond}}

* {{xt|diode–transistor logic}};   {{xt|the analog–digital distinction}};   {{xt|push–pull output}};   {{xt|on–off switch}}

* {{xt|a pro-establishment–anti-intellectual alliance}};   {{xt|Singapore–Sumatra–Java shipping lanes}}

* {{xt|the ballerina's rapid walk–dance transitions}};   {{xt|a male–female height ratio of 1.14}}

{{anchor|Anglo-}}An en dash between nations; for people and things identifying with multiple nationalities, use a hyphen when applied as an adjective or a space as a noun.

* {{xt|Japanese–American trade}};   but {{xt|a family of Japanese-American traders}} or {{xt|a family of Japanese Americans}}

* {{xt|an Italian–Swiss border crossing}};   but {{xt|an Italian-Swiss newspaper}} for {{xt|Italian-speaking Swiss}}

* {{xt|France–Britain rivalry}};   {{xt|French–British rivalry}}

* Wrong: {{!xt|Franco–British rivalry}}; "Franco" is a {{em|combining form}}, not independent, 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|(see {{section link||Slashes}}, below)}}.

* {{xt|the protein–fat ratio}};   {{xt|the protein/fat ratio}};   {{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}};  {{xt|a three-to-one ratio}} {{crossref|(see {{section link|WP:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers|Ratios}})}}.

Use an en dash for the names of two or more entities in an attributive compound.

* {{xt|the Seifert–van Kampen theorem}};   {{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)

Generally, use a hyphen in compounded proper names of single entities.

* {{xt|Guinea-Bissau}}; Bissau is the capital, and this distinguishes the country from neighboring Guinea

* {{xt|Wilkes-Barre}}, a single city named after two people, but {{xt|Minneapolis–Saint Paul}}, a union of two cities

* {{xt|John Lennard-Jones}}, an individual named after two families

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 en dash in any of the compounds above.

===== Instead of a hyphen, when applying a prefix to a compound that includes a space =====

* {{xt|ex–prime minister Thatcher}};   {{xt|pre–World War II aircraft}}

Use this punctuation when there are compelling grounds for retaining the construction. For example, from a speech that is simply transcribed and cannot be re-worded; or in a heading where it has been judged most natural as a common name. Otherwise recasting is better.

* Keep: [[Post–September 11 anti-war movement]]; [[Trans–New Guinea languages]] (existing Wikipedia articles)

* Best to recast the examples shown above: {{xt|former prime minister Thatcher}}; {{xt|aircraft [from] before World War II}}

The en dash in all of the compounds above is unspaced.

===== To separate parts of an item in a list =====

{{anchor|To separate items in certain lists}}

Spaced en dashes are sometimes used between parts of list items. Below are two examples.

* Pairing performers with instruments:

** {{xt|James Galway – flute; Anne-Sophie Mutter – violin; Maurizio Pollini – piano.}}

* Showing track durations on an album:

** {{xt|"The Future" – 7:21}}

** {{xt|"Ain't No Cure for Love" – 6:17}}

** {{xt|"Bird on the Wire" – 6:14.}}

==== Other dashes ====

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

For a negative sign or subtraction operator, use a minus sign: {{xt|−}}, {{Unichar|2212|MINUS SIGN|html=}}. Input by clicking on it in the insert box beneath the edit window or by typing <code>&minus;</code>.

=== Slashes ===

Generally, avoid joining two words with a [[Slash (punctuation)|slash]], also called a forward slash or ''solidus'' ({{xt| / }}), 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 (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|''ribald'' is pronounced {{IPA|/ˈrɪbəld/}}}})

* in a fraction (<code>7/8</code>), though the "fraction slash" (<code>7&frasl;8</code>, producing 7&frasl;8) or {{tlx|frac}} template (<code><nowiki>{{frac|7|8}}</nowiki></code>, producing {{frac|7|8}}) are preferred

* 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|WP:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers|Longer periods}} 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}})

* where a slash occurs in a phrase widely used outside Wikipedia, and a different construction would be inaccurate, unfamiliar, or ambiguous (e.g., {{xt|www.defense.gov/news/news.aspx}})

A spaced slash may be used:

* to separate run-in lines in quoted poetry or song ({{xt|To be or not to be: that is the question: / Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer / 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 31 east / NY 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: {{nobr|<code>My mama told me&nbsp;/ You better shop around</code>}}. For short constructions, both spaces should be non-breaking: {{nobr|<code>x&nbsp;/&nbsp;y</code>}}.

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

Prefer the division operator ({{xt| ÷ }}) 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}}{{var|n}}/{{var|n}}!}}. {{cross reference|1=(See {{section link|WP:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers|Common mathematical symbols}} and [[Help:Displaying a formula]].)}}

==== And/or ====

Avoid writing {{!xt|and/or}}: Instead of {{!xt|Most suffered trauma and/or smoke inhalation}}, write simply {{xt|trauma or smoke inhalation}} (which would normally be interpreted to imply ''or both''); or, for emphasis or precision, write {{xt|trauma or smoke inhalation or both}}. Where more than two possibilities are present, instead of {{!xt|x, y, and/or z}} write {{xt|one or more of x, y, and z}} or {{xt|some or all of x, y, and z}}.

=== Number sign ===

Avoid using the {{!xt|[[octothorpe|#]]}} symbol (known as the [[number sign]], hash sign, or pound sign) when referring to numbers or rankings. Instead write "number", "No." or "Nos."; do not use the symbol {{!xt|№}}. For example:

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| {{em|Incorrect}}:    || {{!xt|Her album reached #1 in the UK album charts.}}

|-

| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|Her album reached number one in the UK album charts.}}

|-

| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|Her album reached {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 1 in the UK album charts.}}

|-

| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|Her albums ''Foo'' and ''Bar'' reached {{Abbr|Nos.|Numbers}} 1 and 3 respectively.}}

|}

An exception is issue numbers of comic books, which unlike for other periodicals are 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}}. When using the abbreviations, write {{xt|<code><nowiki>{{abbr|Vol.|Volume}}</nowiki></code>}}, {{xt|<code><nowiki>{{abbr|No.|Number}}</nowiki></code>}}, or {{xt|<code><nowiki>{{abbr|Nos.|Numbers}}</nowiki></code>}}.

=== Terminal punctuation ===

* [[Full stop|Periods]] ("full stops"), [[question mark]]s, and [[exclamation mark]]s are [[terminal punctuation]]{{mdashb}}the only punctuation marks used to end English sentences.

* 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}}, {{section link||Quotation marks}}, and {{section link||Sentences and brackets}}, above. [[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}}, below.

* For the use of three periods in succession, see {{section link||Ellipses}}, above.

* Clusters of question marks, exclamation marks, or a combination of them (such as the [[interrobang]]), are highly informal and inappropriate in Wikipedia articles.

* Use the exclamation mark with restraint. It is an expression of surprise or emotion that is unsuited to a scholarly or encyclopedic [[register (sociolinguistics)|register]].

* Question marks and exclamation marks may sometimes be used in the middle of a sentence:

** {{xt|Why me? she wondered.}}

** {{xt|The Homeric question is not ''Did Homer write the Iliad?'' but ''How did the Iliad come into being?'', as we have now come to realize.}}

** {{xt|The door flew open with a BANG! that made them jump.}} (Not encyclopedic, but acceptable in transcription from audio, or in direct quotation.)

=== Spacing ===

In normal text, never put a space {{em|before}} a comma, a semicolon, a colon, or a terminal punctuation mark (even in quoted material; see allowable typographical changes in {{section link||Typographic conformity}}, above). Put a space {{em|after}} these, unless they end a paragraph or are followed by a closing parenthesis, quotation mark, or similar.

==== Spaces following terminal punctuation ====

The number of spaces following the terminal punctuation of a sentence in the wiki markup makes no difference on Wikipedia; the MediaWiki software condenses any number of spaces to just one when rendering the page (see [[Sentence spacing]]). For this reason, editors may use any spacing style they prefer on Wikipedia. Multiple spacing styles may coexist in the same article, and adding or removing a double space is sometimes used as a [[Help:dummy edit|dummy edit]].

=== Consecutive punctuation marks ===

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.

:{| style="background:transparent"

|-

| {{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, after growing tired of What Is This?, returned to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1985.}}

|}

=== Punctuation and footnotes ===

{{shortcut|MOS:PUNCTFOOT|WP:PAIC|MOS:REFPUNCT|MOS:PUNCTREF|MOS:REFSPACE}}

'''Ref tags''' ({{tag|ref}}) are used to create ''[[Help:Footnotes|footnotes]]'' (sometimes called ''endnotes'' or ''notes''). The ref tags should immediately follow the text to which the footnote applies, with no intervening space (except possibly a [[hair space]], generated by {{tl|hsp}}). Any punctuation (see exceptions below) must precede the ref tags. Adjacent ref tags should have no space between them. Ref tags are used for [[Help:Footnotes#Explanatory notes|explanatory notes]], but are more often used for [[Wikipedia:Citing sources#Inline citations|citation footnotes]].

When ref tags are used, a [[Help:Footnotes#Creating the footnote list|footnote list]] must be added, and is usually placed in the [[WP:FNNR|Notes and References]] section near the end of the article in the [[WP:APPENDIX|standard appendices and footers]].

{{hatnote|Note: Dummy note links in the examples below are not clickable.}}

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

Exceptions: ref tags are placed {{em|before}} dashes, not after; and where a footnote applies only to material within parentheses, the ref tags belong just before the closing parenthesis.

* {{em|Example}}: Paris is not the capital city of England—the capital of which is London{{hsp}}{{Dummy ref|10}}—but that of France,{{Dummy ref|11}} and is widely known as a beautiful city.{{Dummy ref|12}}

* {{em|Example}}: Kim Jong-un (Korean: 김정은;{{Dummy ref|10}} Hanja: 金正恩{{Dummy ref|11}}) is the third and youngest son of Kim Jong-il with his late consort Ko Young-hee.

=== Punctuation after formulae ===

A sentence that ends with a formula should have terminal punctuation (period, exclamation mark, or question mark) after the formula. Within a sentence, place other punctuation (such as commas or colons) after the formula just as if the text were not a formula. See {{section link|WP:Manual of Style/Mathematics|Punctuation after formulae}}.

= Dates and time =

@@ Line 279: / Line 279: @@
 Always insert hard/thin spaces symbolically (<code>&amp;nbsp;</code>, <code>&amp;thinsp;</code>), never by entering them as literal Unicode characters entered directly from the keyboard.
+== Punctuation ==
+{{shortcut|MOS:PUNCT|MOS:'}}
+=== Apostrophes ===
+{{anchor|Foreign characters that resemble apostrophes}}
+* Consistent use of the ''straight'' [[apostrophe]] ({{xt|&nbsp;{{big|'}}&nbsp;}}) is recommended, as opposed to the ''curly'' apostrophe ({{!xt|&nbsp;{{big|‘ ’}}&nbsp;}}). For details and reasons, see {{section link||Quotation marks}}, below.
+*Where an apostrophe might otherwise be misinterpreted as Wiki markup, use the templates {{tn|'}}, {{tn|`}}, and {{tn|'s}}, or use {{xtag|nowiki}} tags, or use <code>&amp;apos;</code> entity.
+*Foreign characters that resemble apostrophes, such as transliterated Arabic [[ayin]] ({{xt|&nbsp;{{big|ʿ}}&nbsp;}}) and [[aleph|alif]] ({{xt|&nbsp;{{big|ʾ}}&nbsp;}}), are represented by their correct Unicode characters (that is, U+02BF <small>MODIFIER LETTER LEFT HALF RING</small> and U+02BE <small>MODIFIER LETTER RIGHT HALF RING</small> respectively), despite possible display problems. If this is not feasible, use a straight apostrophe instead.
+*For usage of the possessive apostrophe, see {{section link||Possessives}}, below.
+*For a thorough treatment of all uses of the apostrophe (possessive, elision, formation of certain plurals, specific foreign-language issues) see the article [[Apostrophe]].
+=== Quotation marks ===
+{{shortcut|MOS:QUOTEMARKS}}
+{{redirect|MOS:QUOTEMARKS|the guideline on the use of quotation marks in titles of works in particular|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Titles#Quotation marks}}
+{{see also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Quotations}}
+The primary use of quotation marks is to identify and enclose speech or text which is reported [[wiktionary:verbatim|verbatim]]. The term ''quotation'' in the material below also includes other uses of quotation marks such as those for titles of songs, chapters, episodes, unattributable aphorisms, [[String (computer science)|literal strings]], "[[Scare quotes|scare-quoted]]" phrases, and constructed examples. Quotation marks existing in other sources should be changed to match the format described below when being brought into Wikipedia.
+{{shortcut|MOS:SINGLE|MOS:DOUBLE}}
+; {{vanchor|Double or single}}{{anchor|Double or single quotation marks}}
+: Enclose quotations with double quotation marks ({{xt|Bob said, "Jim ate the apple."}}). Enclose quotations inside quotations with single quotation marks ({{xt|Bob said, "Did Jim say 'I ate the apple' after he left?"}}). This is by far the dominant convention in current practice. However, there are some conventional codified exceptions, such as:
+:* {{vanchor|Single quotation marks}} are used for plant cultivars ({{xt|''Malus domestica'' 'Golden Delicious'}}; see [[WP:Naming conventions (flora)]]).
+:* [[Gloss (annotation)#In linguistics|Simple glosses]] that translate or define unfamiliar terms are usually enclosed in single quotes ({{xt|''Cossack'' comes from the Turkic ''qazaq'', 'freebooter'}}).
+; {{vanchor|Article openings}}{{anchor|Quotation marks in article openings}}
+: 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 [[Bill Clinton]]: {{xt|'''William Jefferson''' "'''Bill'''" '''Clinton''' is an American politician&nbsp;...}}).
+; {{vanchor|Block quotations}}{{anchor|Block quotes}}
+: As noted in {{section link||Quotations}} (above), we use quotation marks or block quotes (not both) to distinguish long quotations from other text. Multiparagraph quotations are always block-quoted. The quotations must be precise and exactly as in the source (except for certain {{em|allowable typographical changes}}, also noted [[#Typographic conformity|above]]). The source should be cited clearly and precisely to enable readers to locate the text in question, and to quote it accurately themselves from Wikipedia.
+; {{vanchor|Punctuation before quotations}}
+: The use of a comma before a quotation embedded within a sentence is optional, if a non-quoted but otherwise identical construction would work grammatically without the comma:
+:* {{xt|The report stated "There was a 45% reduction in transmission rate."}} (Compare 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 or interrupted quotations:
+:* {{xt|Free will was central to Anaïs Nin's experience of life, which she wrote "shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."}}
+:* {{xt|"Life", Anaïs Nin wrote, "shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."}}
+: A comma is required when it would be present in the same constructions 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 some children.)
+:* {{!xt|Caitlyn Jenner expressed concerns about children, "who are coming to terms with being true to who they are".}} (Misrepresentation, as a statement about all children.)
+: 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|Albert Einstein wrote: "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."}}
+: No additional punctuation is necessary for an explicit [[MOS:WORDSASWORDS|words-as-words]] scenario:
+:* {{xt|The message was unintelligible except for the fragments "help soon" and "how much longer before".}}
+; {{vanchor|Quotation characters}}
+: {{Shortcut|MOS:CURLY|MOS:CQ}}There are two possible methods for rendering quotation marks at Wikipedia (that is, the [[Quotation mark glyphs|glyphs]], displayed with emphasis here, for clarity):
+:* [[Quotation mark glyphs#Typewriter quotation marks|Typewriter]] or straight style: {{xt|{{big|'''"'''}}text{{big|'''"'''}}}}, {{xt|{{big|'''{{`}}'''}}text{{big|'''{{`}}'''}}}} ('''recommended for Wikipedia''')
+:* [[Quotation mark glyphs#Quotation marks in English|Typographic]] or curly style: {{!xt|{{big|'''“'''}}text{{big|'''”'''}}}}, {{!xt|{{big|'''‘'''}}text{{big|'''’'''}}}} ('''not recommended for Wikipedia''' – see [[#Quotation mark rationales|below]])
+: Whenever quotation marks or apostrophes appear in article titles, make a redirect from the same title but using the alternative glyphs.
+: Do not use [[grave accent|grave]] and [[acute accent]]s or backticks ({{!xt|{{big|'''`'''}}text{{big|'''´'''}}}}) as quotation marks (or as apostrophes). Likewise, avoid using the low-high ({{!xt|„&nbsp;“}}) or [[guillemet]] ({{!xt|«&nbsp;»}}) quotation marks that are common in [[Non-English usage of quotation marks|several foreign languages]]. Editors may see {{!xt|′}} and {{!xt|″}} under the edit window as characters available for insertion; however, these are [[prime (symbol)|prime]] and double-prime symbols, used to indicate subdivisions of the [[degree (angle)|degree]], and should not be used to mark quotations.
+==== Reasons to prefer straight quotation marks and apostrophes ====
+{{anchor|Quotation mark rationales|Quotation mark rationale}}
+{{shortcut|MOS:STRAIGHT}}
+Typographical, or curly, quotation marks and apostrophes might be read more efficiently, and many think they look better. However, for practical reasons the straight versions are used on the English Wikipedia.
+* '''Consistency keeps searches predictable.''' Search facilities have differences of which many readers (and editors) are unaware. For example, most modern browsers don't distinguish between curly and straight marks, but Internet Explorer still does (as of 2016), so that a search for {{xt|Alzheimer's disease}} will fail to find {{!xt|Alzheimer’s disease}} and vice versa.
+* '''Straight quotation marks''' are easier to type and edit reliably on most platforms.
+==== Reasons to prefer double quotation marks to single quotation marks ====
+Normally, double rather than single quotation marks should be used for primary or top-level quotations.
+* '''Double quotation marks''' are distinguishable from apostrophes:
+*:{{!xt|She wrote that 'Cleanthes' differs from the others', but neither opinion may represent Hume's';&nbsp;...}} (slows the reader down)
+*:{{xt|She wrote that "Cleanthes' differs from the others', but neither opinion may represent Hume's";&nbsp;...}} (clearer)
+* Most browsers distinguish single and double quotation marks. (Searches for {{xt|"must see" attractions}} may fail to find {{!xt|'must see' attractions}}.)
+==== <span id="Quotation marks with names and titles"></span>Names and titles ====
+{{anchor|Quotation marks-Titles}}
+{{/titles hatnote include|where=MOS#P-QM-N&T}}
+Quotation marks should be used for the following names and titles:
+{|
+|
+* Articles and chapters (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, oratorios italicized)
+* Individual episodes of television and radio series and [[Serial (radio and television)|serials]] (series title italicized)
+|}
+For example: The song "Example" from the album ''Example'' by the band Example.
+Do not use quotation marks or italics for:
+{|
+|
+* 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]].
+==== <span id="Punctuation inside or outside quotation marks"></span>Punctuation inside or outside ====
+{{anchor|LP|LQ|TQ|logical quotes}}{{shortcut|MOS:LQ|MOS:TQ}}
+{{hatnote|"Wikipedia:TQ" redirects here. For the Teahouse, a forum for new editors to receive greetings and feedback, see [[Wikipedia:Teahouse]].}}
+<!-- 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. -->
+On the English Wikipedia, 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.
+: {{tq|Did Darla say, "There I am"?}} (mark applies to whole sentence)
+: {{tq|No, she said, "Where am I?"}} (mark applies to quoted material only)
+If the quotation is a full sentence and it coincides with the end of the sentence containing it, place terminal punctuation inside the closing quotation mark. If the quotation is a single word or fragment, place the terminal punctuation outside.
+: {{tq|Marlin said: "I need to find Nemo."}}
+: {{tq|Marlin needed, he said, "to find Nemo".}}
+If the quoted sentence has been broken up with an editorial insertion, still include the terminal punctuation inside the closing quotation mark.
+: {{tq|"I need", said Marlin, "to find Nemo."}}
+If the quoted sentence is followed by a [[clause]] that should be preceded by a comma, omit the [[full stop]] but other terminal punctuation, such as a question mark or exclamation mark, may be retained. A question should always end with a question mark.
+: {{tq|Dory said, "Yes, I can read", which gave Marlin an idea.}}
+: {{tq|Dory said, "Yes, I can read!", which gave Marlin an idea.}}
+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 question marks.
+: {{tq|"Why are you sleeping?", asked Darla.}}
+: {{tq|"Fish are friends, not food", said Bruce.}}
+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.
+: {{tq|"Fish are friends," said Bruce, "not food."}}
+: {{tq|"Why", asked Darla, "are you sleeping?"}}
+=== Brackets and parentheses ===
+{{shortcut|MOS:B&P|MOS:BRACKET|MOS:PAREN}}
+The rules in this section apply 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. (For examples, see {{section link||Sentences and brackets}}, below.) There should be no space next to the inner side of a bracket. An opening bracket should usually be preceded by a space, for example. 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].}}
+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.
+If sets of brackets are nested, use different types for adjacent levels of nesting; for two levels, it is customary to have square brackets appear within round brackets. This is often a sign of excessively convoluted expression; it is often better to recast, linking the thoughts with commas, semicolons, colons, or dashes.
+Avoid adjacent sets of brackets. Either put the parenthetic phrases in one set separated by commas, or rewrite the sentence:
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| {{em|Incorrect}}:&nbsp; &nbsp; || {{!xt|Nikifor Grigoriev (c. 1885–1919) (also known as Matviy Hryhoriyiv) was a Ukrainian insurgent leader.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|Nikifor Grigoriev (c. 1885–1919, also known as Matviy Hryhoriyiv) was a Ukrainian insurgent leader.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|Nikifor Grigoriev (c. 1885–1919) was a Ukrainian insurgent leader. He was also known as Matviy Hryhoriyiv.}}
+|}
+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 (...) is used to indicate that material is removed from a direct quotation, it should not normally be bracketed (see {{section link||Ellipses}}, below).
+* 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"}}.)
+==== Sentences and brackets ====
+* If any sentence includes material that is enclosed in square or round brackets, it still must end—with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation mark—{{em|after}} those brackets. This principle applies no matter what punctuation is used within the brackets:
+:: {{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. (This sentence is an example.) This does not apply to matter that is added (or modified editorially) at the beginning of a sentence for clarity, which is usually in square brackets:
+:: {{xt|"[Principal Skinner] already told me that", he objected.}}
+: That is preferable to this, which is potentially ambiguous:
+:: {{!xt|"He already told me that", he objected.}}
+: But even here consider an addition rather than a replacement of text:
+:: {{xt|"He [Principal Skinner] already told me that", he objected.}}
+* A sentence that occurs within brackets in the course of another sentence does not generally have its first word capitalized just because it starts a sentence. The enclosed sentence may have a question mark or exclamation mark added, but not a period. See the indented example above and also
+:: {{xt|Alexander then conquered (who would have believed it?) most of the known world.}}
+:: {{xt|Clare demanded that he drive (she knew he hated driving) to the supermarket.}}
+: It is often clearer to separate the thoughts into separate sentences or clauses:
+:: {{xt|Alexander then conquered most of the known world. Who would have believed it?}}
+:: {{xt|Clare demanded that he drive to the supermarket; she knew he hated driving.}}
+==== Brackets and linking ====
+Brackets inside of links require special handling:
+{| class="wikitable"
+| style="width:70%;" | <pre style="margin:0px; white-space:normal;">He said, "[[John Doe|John &amp;#91;Doe&amp;#93;]] answered."</pre> ||
+He said, "[[John Doe|John &#91;Doe&#93;]] answered."
+|-
+| <pre style="margin:0px; white-space:normal;">He said, "[[John Doe|John {{bracket|Doe}}]] answered."</pre> ||
+He said, "[[John Doe|John {{bracket|Doe}}]] answered."
+|-
+| <pre style="margin:0px; white-space:normal;">[<nowiki>http://</nowiki>example.site On the first day &amp;#91;etc.&amp;#93;]</pre> ||
+[http://example.site On the first day &#91;etc.&#93;]
+|-
+| <pre style="margin:0px; white-space:normal;">[<nowiki>http://example.site On the first day {{bracket|etc.}}</nowiki>]</pre> ||
+[http://example.site 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 {{nobreak|1=<code><nowiki>http://</nowiki>example.site/foo.php?query={{bxt|%5B}}xxx{{bxt|%5D}}yyy</code>}}, rather than ...<code>query={{!bxt|&#91;}}xxx{{!bxt|&#93;}}yyy</code>.  This will avoid truncation of the link after <code>xxx</code>.
+=== Ellipses ===
+{{anchor|Ellipsis|...}}{{shortcut|MOS:ELLIPSIS}}
+Use an ''[[ellipsis]]'' (plural ''ellipses'') to indicate an omission of material from quoted text or some other omission, perhaps of the end of a sentence, often in a printed record of conversation. The ellipsis is represented by ''ellipsis points'': a set of three dots.
+; {{anchor|Ellipsis style}}Style
+: Ellipsis points, or ellipses, have traditionally been implemented in three ways:
+:* '''Three unspaced periods''' ({{xt|...}}). This is the easiest way and gives a predictable appearance in HTML. {{em|Recommended.}}
+:* '''Pre-composed ellipsis character''' ({{!xt|…}}) generated with the <code>&amp;hellip;</code> character entity or as a literal "<code>…</code>". This is harder to input and edit and too small in some fonts. {{em|Not recommended.}}
+:* '''Three periods separated by spaces''' ({{!xt|.&nbsp;.&nbsp;.}}). This is an older style that is unnecessarily wide and requires non-breaking spaces to keep it from breaking at the end of a line. {{em|Not recommended.}}
+; {{anchor|Ellipsis function and implementation}}Function and implementation
+: Use an ellipsis if material is omitted in the course of a quotation, unless square brackets are used to [[Gloss (annotation)|gloss]] the quotation {{crossref|(see {{section link||Brackets and parentheses}}, above, and the points below)}}.
+:* Put a space on each side of an ellipsis ({{xt|"France, Germany,&nbsp;... and Belgium"}}), except that there should be no space between an ellipsis and
+:** a quotation mark directly following the ellipsis ({{xt|"France, Germany, and Belgium&nbsp;..."}}).
+:** any (round, square, curly, etc.) bracket, where the ellipsis is on the inside ({{xt|"France, Germany (but not Berlin, Munich,&nbsp;...), and Belgium"}}).
+:** any [[#Terminal punctuation|terminal punctuation]], colon, semicolon, or comma, directly following the ellipsis ({{xt|"Are we going to France&nbsp;...?"}}).
+:* Place terminal punctuation after an ellipsis only if it is textually important (as is often the case with exclamation marks and question marks and rarely with periods).
+:* Use non-breaking spaces (<code>&amp;nbsp;</code>) as needed to prevent improper line breaks, for example,
+:** to keep a quotation mark (and any adjacent punctuation) from being separated from the start or end of the quotation ({{xt|"...<code>&amp;nbsp;</code>we are still worried"}}; {{xt|"Are we going to France<code>&amp;nbsp;</code>...?"}}).
+:** to keep the ellipsis from wrapping to the next line ({{xt|"France, Germany,<code>&amp;nbsp;</code>... and Belgium"}}, not {{!xt|"France, Germany,<code>&amp;nbsp;</code>...<code>&amp;nbsp;</code>and Belgium"}}).
+; {{visible anchor|Pause or suspension of speech}}
+: Three periods (loosely also called ''ellipsis points'') 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 cannot believe it!"}}. Avoid this usage except in direct quotations. 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
+: An ellipsis does not normally need square brackets around it, because its function is usually obvious—especially if the guidelines above are followed. Square brackets, however, may optionally be used for precision, to make it clear that the ellipsis is not itself quoted; this is usually only necessary if the quoted passage also uses three periods in it to indicate a pause or suspension. The ellipsis should follow exactly the principles given above but with square brackets inserted immediately before and after it ({{xt|Her long rant continued: "How do I feel? How do you {{em|think}} I&nbsp;... look, this has gone far enough!&nbsp;[...] I want to go home!"}}).
+=== Commas ===
+{{shortcut|MOS:COMMA}}
+[[Comma]]s are the most frequently used punctuation marks and can be the most difficult to use well. Some important points regarding their use follow below and at {{section link||Semicolons}}.
+* Pairs of commas are used to delimit parenthetic material, forming an [[Apposition|appositive]]. Using commas in this way interrupts a sentence less than using round brackets or dashes to express parenthetical material. When inserting parenthetical material in a sentence, use two commas, or none at all. For example:
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| {{em|Incorrect}}: || {{!xt|John Smith, Janet Cooper's son is a well-known playwright.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Correct}}:&nbsp; &nbsp; || {{xt|John Smith, Janet Cooper's son, is a well-known playwright.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Correct}}:&nbsp; &nbsp; || {{xt|Janet Cooper's son John Smith is a well-known playwright.}} (when Janet has multiple sons)
+|-
+| {{em|Correct}}:&nbsp; &nbsp; || {{xt|Janet Cooper's son, John Smith, is a well-known playwright.}} (when Janet has only one son)
+|}
+* Do not be fooled by other punctuation, which can distract from the need for a comma, especially when it collides with a bracket or parenthesis, as in this example:
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| {{em|Incorrect}}: || {{!xt|Burke and Wills, fed by locals (on beans, fish, and ''ngardu'') survived for a few months.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Correct}}:&nbsp; &nbsp; || {{xt|Burke and Wills, fed by locals (on beans, fish, and ''ngardu''), survived for a few months.}}
+|}
+* Modern writing uses fewer commas; there are usually ways to simplify a sentence so that fewer are needed.
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| {{em|Awkward}}: || {{!xt|Mozart was, along with the Haydns, both Joseph and Michael, and also Beethoven, one of Schubert's heroes.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Much better}}:&nbsp; &nbsp; || {{xt|Schubert's heroes included Mozart, Beethoven, and Joseph and Michael Haydn.}}
+|}
+* 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 other punctuation. [[MOS:DATEFORMAT|Dates]] in month–day–year format require a comma after the day, as well as after the year, unless followed by other punctuation. In both cases, the last element is treated as [[Wikipedia:Basic copyediting#Parenthetical comma|parenthetical]].
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| {{em|Incorrect}}: || {{!xt|He set October 1, 2011 as the deadline for Chattanooga, Oklahoma to meet his demands.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Correct}}:&nbsp; &nbsp; || {{xt|He set October 1, 2011, as the deadline for Chattanooga, Oklahoma, to meet his demands.}}
+|}
+* On Wikipedia, place quotation marks by following the system [[#Punctuation inside or outside|described below]]. This is called "logical quotation" (see also {{section link||Punctuation inside or outside quotation marks}}).
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| {{em|Incorrect}}: || {{!xt|She said, "Punctuation styles on Wikipedia change too often," and made other complaints.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Correct}}:&nbsp; &nbsp; || {{xt|She said, "Punctuation styles on Wikipedia change too often", and made other complaints.}}
+|}
+* A comma may be included before a quotation embedded within a sentence (see {{section link||Quotation marks}} above).
+==== Serial commas ====
+{{anchor|Oxford comma}}{{shortcut|MOS:SERIAL|MOS:OXFORD}}
+A [[serial comma]] (also known as an ''Oxford comma'' or a ''Harvard comma'') is a comma used immediately before a conjunction (''and'' or ''or'', sometimes ''nor'') in a list of three or more items: the phrase {{xt|ham, chips, and eggs}} includes a serial comma, while {{xt|ham, chips and eggs}} omits it. Editors may use either convention so long as each article is internally consistent; however, there are times when the serial comma can create or remove confusion:
+*Sometimes omitting the comma can lead to ambiguity:
+::{{!xt|The author thanked her parents, Sinéad O'Connor and President Obama}}, which may list either four people (the two parents and the two people named) or two people (O'Connor and Obama, who are the parents).
+*Including the comma can also cause ambiguity:
+::{{!xt|The author thanked her mother, Sinéad O'Connor, and President Obama}}, which may list either two people (O'Connor, who is the mother, and Obama) or three people (the first being the mother, the second O'Connor, and the third Obama).
+In such cases of ambiguity, there are three ways to clarify:
+* Add or remove the serial comma.
+* Use paragraph breaks, bullet lists, or numbered paragraphs to clarify.
+*Recast the sentence (first example above):
+** To list four people: {{xt|The author thanked President Obama, Sinéad O'Connor, and her parents.}}<!-- still ambiguous: did she thank her own parents, or O'Connor's parents? -->
+** To list two people (the commas here set off non-restrictive [[apposition|appositives]]): {{xt|The author thanked her father, President Obama, and her mother, Sinéad O'Connor.}}
+**: Clearer (but wordier): {{xt|The author thanked her father and her mother, who are President Obama and Sinéad O'Connor respectively.}}
+*Recast the sentence (second example above):
+** To list two people: {{xt|The author thanked President Obama and her mother, Sinéad O'Connor.}}
+** To list three people: {{xt|The author thanked her mother, President Obama, and Sinéad O'Connor.}}
+**: The clarity of the last example depends on the reader knowing that Obama is male and cannot be a mother. If we change the example slightly, we are back to an ambiguous statement: {{!xt|The author thanked her mother, Irish President Mary McAleese, and Sinéad O'Connor.}}
+**: Clearer: {{xt|The author thanked President Obama, Sinéad O'Connor, and her mother}}; or {{xt|The author thanked President Mary McAleese, Sinéad O'Connor, and her mother}}.
+=== Colons ===
+{{shortcut|MOS:COLON}}
+A [[Colon (punctuation)|colon]] ({{xt|:}}) informs the reader that what comes after it 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:
+: {{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 (see {{section link||Quotation marks}} above).
+In most cases a colon works best with a complete grammatical sentence before it. There are exceptional cases, such as those where the colon introduces items set off in new lines like the very next colon here. Examples:
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|He attempted it in two years: 1941 and 1943.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Incorrect}}:&nbsp; &nbsp; || {{!xt|The years he attempted it included: 1941 and 1943.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Correct (special case)}}:&nbsp; &nbsp; || {{xt|Spanish, Portuguese, French: these, with a few others, are the West Romance languages.}}
+|}
+Sometimes (more in American than in British usage) the word following a colon is capitalized, if that word effectively begins a new grammatical sentence, and especially if the colon serves to introduce more than one sentence:
+: {{xt|The argument is easily stated: We have been given only three tickets. There are four of us here: you, the twins, and me. The twins are inseparable. Therefore, you or I will have to stay home.}}
+No sentence should contain more than one colon. There should never be a hyphen or a dash immediately following a colon. Only a single space follows a colon.
+=== Semicolons ===
+{{shortcut|MOS:SEMICOLON|MOS:COMMASPLICE}}
+{{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.
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|Though he had been here before, I did not recognize him.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Incorrect}}:&nbsp; &nbsp; || {{!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.
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|Oranges are an acid fruit; bananas are classified as alkaline.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Incorrect}}:&nbsp; &nbsp; || {{!xt|Oranges are an acid fruit, bananas are classified as alkaline.}}
+|}
+This incorrect use of a comma between two independent clauses is known as a [[comma splice]]; however, in very rare cases, a comma may be used where a semicolon would seem to be called for:
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| {{em|Accepted}}: || {{xt|"Life is short, art is long."}} (citing a brief [[aphorism]]; see ''[[Ars longa, vita brevis]]'')
+|-
+| {{em|Accepted}}: || {{xt|"I have studied it, you have not."}} (reporting brisk conversation, like 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.
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| {{em|Unwieldy}}: || {{!xt|Oranges are an acid fruit; bananas are classified as alkaline; pears are close to neutral; these distinctions are rarely discussed.}}
+|-
+| {{em|One better way}}:&nbsp; &nbsp; || {{xt|Oranges are an acid 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.
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| {{em|Confusing}}:&nbsp;&nbsp; || {{!xt|Sales offices are located in Boston, Massachusetts, San Francisco, California, Singapore, and Millbank, London, England.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Clear}}: || {{xt|Sales offices are located in Boston, Massachusetts; San Francisco, California; Singapore; and Millbank, London, England.}}
+|}
+As seen in the examples above, a semicolon does not automatically require the word that follows it to be capitalized.
+==== 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:
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| || {{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:
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| || {{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:
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| || {{xt|However they tried, it was obvious they could not convert these people.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Meaning}}: || {{xt|Regardless of how hard 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", which 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:
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| || {{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:
+# In hyphenated personal names: {{xt|John Lennard-Jones}}.
+# 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}}), particularly in American English. British English tends to hyphenate 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}}). American English reflects the same factors, but is more likely to close up without a hyphen. Consult [[Comparison of English dictionaries|a good dictionary]], and see ''[[#National varieties of English|National varieties of English]]'' above.
+# To link related terms in [[compound modifier]]s:{{Efn|Specifically, compound [[attributive]]s, which are modifiers of a noun that occur within the [[noun phrase]]. (See [[English compound#Hyphenated compound modifiers|hyphenated compound modifiers]].)}}
+#* Hyphens can help with ease of reading ({{xt|face-to-face discussion}}, {{xt|hard-boiled egg}}); where non-experts are part of the readership, a hyphen is particularly useful in long noun phrases, such as those in Wikipedia's scientific articles: {{xt|gas-phase reaction dynamics}}. However, hyphens are never inserted into proper names in compounds ({{xt|Middle Eastern cuisine}}, not {{!xt|Middle-Eastern cuisine}}).
+#* A hyphen can help to disambiguate ({{xt|little-celebrated paintings}} is not a reference to little paintings; {{xt|a government-monitoring program}} is a program that monitors the government, whereas {{xt|a government monitoring program}} is a government program that monitors something else).
+#* Many 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 {{em|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, a hyphen may optionally 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 culture}} &rarr; {{xt|native Hawaiian culture}}.
+#* 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 be added to improve clarity if a rewritten alternative is awkward. Rewording is 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, like {{xt|diode–transistor logic}}, the independent status of the linked elements requires an en dash instead of a hyphen. See [[#En dashes|En dashes]] below.
+#* Use 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}}, but better is {{xt|sloping rightward 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>).
+:::{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| {{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}}
+|}
+'''Multi-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 6 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}}, above.
+Do not use a capital letter after a hyphen except for a proper name: {{xt|Graeco-Roman}} and {{xt|Mediterranean-style}}, but not {{!xt|Gandhi-Like}}. In titles of published works, follow the capitalization rule for each part independently (resulting in, e.g., {{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 (see above) or when used to display parts of words independently, such as the prefix {{xt|sub-}} and the suffix {{xt|‑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 always 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]]}}, because the latter title, although correct, is harder to search for.
+'''Non-breaking:''' A non-breaking hyphen (<code>&amp;#8209;</code> or {{tlx|nbhyph}}) will {{em|not}} be used as a point of line-wrap.
+{{shortcut|MOS:SHY}}
+'''Soft hyphens:''' Use a [[soft hyphen]] to indicate {{em|optional}} locations where a word may be broken and hyphenated at the end of a line of text. Use of soft hyphens should be limited to special cases, usually involving [[Longest English words|very long words]] or narrow spaces (such as captions in tight page layouts, or column labels in narrow tables). Widespread use of soft hyphens is strongly discouraged, because it makes the wikitext very difficult to read and to edit (for example, <code>This Wi&amp;shy;ki&amp;shy;source ex&amp;shy;am&amp;shy;ple is dif&amp;shy;fi&amp;shy;cult to un&amp;shy;der&amp;shy;stand</code>). An alternative syntax improves readability:
+:<code><nowiki>{{shy|This al|ter|na|tive syn|tax im|proves read|a|bil|ity}}</nowiki></code>
+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> ===
+{{shortcut|MOS:DASH|WP:MOSDASH|MOS:EMDASH|MOS:MDASH|MOS:ENDASH|MOS:NDASH}}
+Two forms of dash are used on Wikipedia: '''[[en dash]]''' ({{xt|–}}) and '''[[em dash]]''' ({{xt|—}}). Enter them as <code>&amp;ndash;</code> or <code>&amp;mdash;</code>; or click on them to the right of the "Insert" dropdown beneath the edit window. Do not substitute a double hyphen (<code>--</code>).
+* 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 dashe(s), as in [[eye-hand span]]. Similarly, provide [[Template:Category redirect|Category redirects]] for categories containing dashes.
+Sources use dashes in varying ways, but for consistency and clarity Wikipedia adopts the following principles.
+==== Punctuating a sentence (em or en dashes) ====
+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 direct speech.
+In all these cases, use either ''unspaced'' em dashes or ''spaced'' en dashes, with consistency in any one article:
+*An em dash is always ''unspaced'' (that is, without a space on either side):
+:: {{xt|Another "planet" was detected—but it was later found to be a moon of Saturn.}}
+*An en dash is ''spaced'' (that is, with a space on either side) when used as sentence punctuation:
+:: {{xt|Another "planet" was detected{{spaced ndash}}but it was later found to be a moon of Saturn.}}
+:Ideally, use {{tlx|spaced ndash}} or {{tlx|snd}} (which prevents the en dash from occurring at the beginning of a line):
+:: <code><nowiki>Another "planet" was detected{{spaced ndash}}but it was later found to be a moon of Saturn.</nowiki></code>
+:But do not use {{tlx|spaced ndash}} or {{tlx|snd}} where the en dash is unspaced (see {{section link||Other uses (en dash only)}}, below).
+Dashes can clarify the sentence structure when there are already commas or parentheses, or both.
+* {{xt|We read them in chronological order: Descartes, Locke, Hume—but not his ''Treatise'' (it is too complex)—and Kant.}}
+Use dashes sparingly. More than two in a single sentence makes the structure unclear; it takes time for the reader to see which dashes, if any, form a pair.
+* {{xt|The birds—at least the ones Darwin collected—had red and blue feathers.}}
+* {{xt|"Where is the—", she began, but the line went dead.}}
+* Avoid: {{!xt|First—and most spectacularly—came the bishops—then the other clergy.}} Better: {{xt|First—and most spectacularly—came the bishops, who were followed by the other clergy.}}
+==== Other uses (en dash only)<span id="En dashes: other uses"></span> ====
+The [[en dash]] (–) has other roles, beyond its use as a sentence-punctuating dash (see immediately above). It is often analogous to the hyphen (see {{section link||Hyphens}}, above), which {{em|joins components}} more strongly than the en dash; or to the slash (see the section [[#Slashes|below]]), which {{em|separates alternatives}} more definitely. Consider the exact meaning when choosing which to use.
+===== In ranges that might otherwise be expressed with ''to'' or ''through'' =====
+{{hatnote|Here the ranges are 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}}.}}
+{{hatnote|A change from a general preference for two digits, to a general preference for four digits, on the right side of ''year{{ndash}}year'' ranges was implemented in July 2016 per [[Special:Permalink/731874769#WP:DATERANGE ambiguity and stylistic concerns|this RFC]]. For more information see [[MOS:DATERANGE]].}}
+* {{xt|pp.&nbsp;7–19}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|64–75%}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|Henry&nbsp;VIII reigned 1509–1547}}
+Do not change hyphens to dashes in filenames, [[URL]]s or templates like {{tlx|Bibleverse}}, which formats verse ranges into URLs.
+Do not mix en dashes with prepositions like ''between'' and ''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}}
+If negative values are involved, an en dash might be confusing. Use words instead.
+* {{xt|−10 to 10}}, not {{!xt|−10–10}}
+The en dash in a range is always unspaced, except when either or both elements of the range include at least one space.
+* {{nobr| {{xt|July 23, 1790 – December 1, 1791}}}} (not {{nobr| {{!xt|July 23, 1790–December 1, 1791}}}})
+* {{nobr| {{xt|14 May – 2 August 2011}}}} (not {{nobr| {{!xt|14 May–2 August 2011}}}})
+* {{nobr| {{xt|1–17 September}}}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{nobr| {{xt|February–October 2009}}}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{nobr| {{xt|1492 – 7 April 1556}}}}
+* {{nobr| {{xt|Christmas Day – New Year's Eve}}}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{nobr| {{xt|Christmas 2001 – Easter 2002}}}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{nobr| {{xt|10:30 pm Tuesday – 1:25 am Wednesday}}}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{nobr| {{xt|6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.}}}} (but {{nobr| {{xt|6:00–9:30 p.m.}}}})
+* {{xt|wavelengths in the range {{nobr| 28 mm – 17&nbsp;m.}}}}
+===== In compounds when the connection might otherwise be expressed with ''to'', ''versus'', ''and'', or ''between'' =====
+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 22–17 majority vote}};&nbsp;&nbsp; but prefer spelling out when using words instead of numerals: {{xt|a six-to-two majority decision}}, not the awkward {{!xt|a six–two majority decision}};&nbsp;&nbsp;avoid confusingly reversed order: {{!xt|a 17–22 majority vote}}{{efn|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 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}}
+{{anchor|Anglo-}}An en dash between nations; for people and things identifying with multiple nationalities, use a hyphen when applied as an adjective or a space as a noun.
+* {{xt|Japanese–American trade}};&nbsp;&nbsp; but {{xt|a family of Japanese-American traders}} or {{xt|a family of Japanese Americans}}
+* {{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}}
+* Wrong: {{!xt|Franco–British rivalry}}; "Franco" is a {{em|combining form}}, not independent, 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|(see {{section link||Slashes}}, below)}}.
+* {{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|(see {{section link|WP:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers|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)
+Generally, use a hyphen in compounded proper names of single entities.
+* {{xt|Guinea-Bissau}}; Bissau is the capital, and this distinguishes the country from neighboring Guinea
+* {{xt|Wilkes-Barre}}, a single city named after two people, but {{xt|Minneapolis–Saint Paul}}, a union of two cities
+* {{xt|John Lennard-Jones}}, an individual named after two families
+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 en dash in any of the compounds above.
+===== Instead of a hyphen, when applying a prefix to a compound that includes a space =====
+* {{xt|ex–prime minister Thatcher}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|pre–World War II aircraft}}
+Use this punctuation when there are compelling grounds for retaining the construction. For example, from a speech that is simply transcribed and cannot be re-worded; or in a heading where it has been judged most natural as a common name. Otherwise recasting is better.
+* Keep: [[Post–September 11 anti-war movement]]; [[Trans–New Guinea languages]] (existing Wikipedia articles)
+* Best to recast the examples shown above: {{xt|former prime minister Thatcher}}; {{xt|aircraft [from] before World War II}}
+The en dash in all of the compounds above is unspaced.
+===== To separate parts of an item in a list =====
+{{anchor|To separate items in certain lists}}<!-- Old section name, may be linked-to. -->
+Spaced en dashes are sometimes used between parts of list items. Below are two examples.
+* Pairing performers with instruments:
+** {{xt|James Galway&nbsp;– flute; Anne-Sophie Mutter&nbsp;– violin; Maurizio Pollini&nbsp;– piano.}}
+* Showing track durations on an album:
+** {{xt|"The Future"&nbsp;– 7:21}}
+** {{xt|"Ain't No Cure for Love"&nbsp;– 6:17}}
+** {{xt|"Bird on the Wire"&nbsp;– 6:14.}}
+==== Other dashes ====
+Do not use substitutes for em or en dashes, such as the combination of two hyphens ({{!xt|--}}). These were [[Typewriter#Typewriter conventions|typewriter approximations]].
+For a negative sign or subtraction operator, use a minus sign: {{xt|−}}, {{Unichar|2212|MINUS SIGN|html=}}. Input by clicking on it in the insert box beneath the edit window or by typing <code>&amp;minus;</code>.
+=== Slashes ===
+{{shortcut|MOS:SLASH|MOS:/|MOS:\}}
+Generally, avoid joining two words with a [[Slash (punctuation)|slash]], also called a forward slash 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 (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|''ribald'' is pronounced {{IPA|/ˈrɪbəld/}}}})
+* in a fraction (<code>7/8</code>), though the "fraction slash" (<code>7&amp;frasl;8</code>, producing 7&frasl;8) or {{tlx|frac}} template (<code><nowiki>{{frac|7|8}}</nowiki></code>, producing {{frac|7|8}}) are preferred
+* 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|WP:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers|Longer periods}} 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}})
+* where a slash occurs in a phrase widely used outside Wikipedia, and a different construction would be inaccurate, unfamiliar, or ambiguous (e.g., {{xt|www.defense.gov/news/news.aspx}})
+A spaced slash may be used:
+* to separate run-in 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: {{nobr|<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>}}.
+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}}!}}. {{cross reference|1=(See {{section link|WP:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers|Common mathematical symbols}} and [[Help:Displaying a formula]].)}}
+==== And/or ====
+{{shortcut|MOS:ANDOR}}
+Avoid writing {{!xt|and/or}}: Instead of {{!xt|Most suffered trauma and/or smoke inhalation}}, write simply {{xt|trauma or smoke inhalation}} (which would normally be interpreted to imply ''or both''); or, for emphasis or precision, write {{xt|trauma or smoke inhalation or both}}. Where more than two possibilities are present, instead of {{!xt|x, y, and/or z}} write {{xt|one or more of x, y, and z}} or {{xt|some or all of x, y, and z}}.
+=== <span id="Number signs"></span>Number sign ===
+{{shortcut|MOS:NUMBERSIGN|MOS:NUMERO|MOS:HASH|MOS:POUND}}
+Avoid using the {{!xt|[[octothorpe|#]]}} symbol (known as the [[number sign]], hash sign, or pound sign) when referring to numbers or rankings. Instead write "number", "No." or "Nos."; do not use the symbol {{!xt|№}}. For example:
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| {{em|Incorrect}}:&nbsp; &nbsp; || {{!xt|Her album reached #1 in the UK album charts.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|Her album reached number one in the UK album charts.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|Her album reached {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 1 in the UK album charts.}}
+|-
+| {{em|Correct}}: || {{xt|Her albums ''Foo'' and ''Bar'' reached {{Abbr|Nos.|Numbers}} 1 and 3 respectively.}}
+|}
+An exception is issue numbers of comic books, which unlike for other periodicals are 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}}. When using the abbreviations, write {{xt|<code><nowiki>{{abbr|Vol.|Volume}}</nowiki></code>}}, {{xt|<code><nowiki>{{abbr|No.|Number}}</nowiki></code>}}, or {{xt|<code><nowiki>{{abbr|Nos.|Numbers}}</nowiki></code>}}.
+=== <span id="Punctuation at the end of a sentence"></span>Terminal punctuation ===
+{{shortcut|MOS:FULLSTOP|MOS:EXCLAMATION|MOS:PERIOD}}
+* [[Full stop|Periods]] ("full stops"), [[question mark]]s, and [[exclamation mark]]s are [[terminal punctuation]]{{mdashb}}the only punctuation marks used to end English sentences.
+* 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}}, {{section link||Quotation marks}}, and {{section link||Sentences and brackets}}, above. [[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}}, below.
+* For the use of three periods in succession, see {{section link||Ellipses}}, above.
+* Clusters of question marks, exclamation marks, or a combination of them (such as the [[interrobang]]), are highly informal and inappropriate in Wikipedia articles.
+* Use the exclamation mark with restraint. It is an expression of surprise or emotion that is unsuited to a scholarly or encyclopedic [[register (sociolinguistics)|register]].
+* Question marks and exclamation marks may sometimes be used in the middle of a sentence:
+** {{xt|Why me? she wondered.}}
+** {{xt|The Homeric question is not ''Did Homer write the Iliad?'' but ''How did the Iliad come into being?'', as we have now come to realize.}}
+** {{xt|The door flew open with a BANG! that made them jump.}} (Not encyclopedic, but acceptable in transcription from audio, or in direct quotation.)
+=== Spacing ===
+{{shortcut|MOS:PUNCTSPACE}}
+In normal text, never put a space {{em|before}} a comma, a semicolon, a colon, or a terminal punctuation mark (even in quoted material; see allowable typographical changes in {{section link||Typographic conformity}}, above). Put a space {{em|after}} these, unless they end a paragraph or are followed by a closing parenthesis, quotation mark, or similar.
+==== Spaces following terminal punctuation ====
+The number of spaces following the terminal punctuation of a sentence in the wiki markup makes no difference on Wikipedia; the MediaWiki software condenses any number of spaces to just one when rendering the page (see [[Sentence spacing]]). For this reason, editors may use any spacing style they prefer on Wikipedia. Multiple spacing styles may coexist in the same article, and adding or removing a double space is sometimes used as a [[Help:dummy edit|dummy edit]].
+=== 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.
+:{| style="background:transparent"
+|-
+| {{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, after growing tired of What Is This?, returned to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1985.}}
+|}
+=== Punctuation and footnotes ===
+{{shortcut|MOS:PUNCTFOOT|WP:PAIC|MOS:REFPUNCT|MOS:PUNCTREF|MOS:REFSPACE}}
+{{see also|Wikipedia:Citing sources}}
+'''Ref tags''' ({{tag|ref}}) are used to create ''[[Help:Footnotes|footnotes]]'' (sometimes called ''endnotes'' or ''notes''). The ref tags should immediately follow the text to which the footnote applies, with no intervening space (except possibly a [[hair space]], generated by {{tl|hsp}}). Any punctuation (see exceptions below) must precede the ref tags. Adjacent ref tags should have no space between them. Ref tags are used for [[Help:Footnotes#Explanatory notes|explanatory notes]], but are more often used for [[Wikipedia:Citing sources#Inline citations|citation footnotes]].
+When ref tags are used, a [[Help:Footnotes#Creating the footnote list|footnote list]] must be added, and is usually placed in the [[WP:FNNR|Notes and References]] section near the end of the article in the [[WP:APPENDIX|standard appendices and footers]].
+{{hatnote|Note: Dummy note links in the examples below are not clickable.}}
+* {{em|Example}}: [[Flightless bird]]s have a reduced [[Keel (bird anatomy)|keel]],{{Dummy ref|10}} and smaller wing bones than flying birds of similar size.{{Dummy ref|11}}{{Dummy ref|12}}
+Exceptions: ref tags are placed {{em|before}} dashes, not after; and where a footnote applies only to material within parentheses, the ref tags belong just before the closing parenthesis.
+* {{em|Example}}: Paris is not the capital city of England—the capital of which is London{{hsp}}{{Dummy ref|10}}—but that of France,{{Dummy ref|11}} and is widely known as a beautiful city.{{Dummy ref|12}}
+* {{em|Example}}: Kim Jong-un (Korean: 김정은;{{Dummy ref|10}} Hanja: 金正恩{{Dummy ref|11}}) is the third and youngest son of Kim Jong-il with his late consort Ko Young-hee.
+=== Punctuation after formulae ===
+A sentence that ends with a formula should have terminal punctuation (period, exclamation mark, or question mark) after the formula. Within a sentence, place other punctuation (such as commas or colons) after the formula just as if the text were not a formula. See {{section link|WP:Manual of Style/Mathematics|Punctuation after formulae}}.
 = Dates and time =