Punctuation Wikipedia:Manual of Style
1 punctuation
1.1 apostrophes
1.2 quotation marks
1.2.1 names , titles
1.2.2 punctuation inside or outside
1.3 brackets , parentheses
1.3.1 sentences , brackets
1.3.2 brackets , linking
1.4 ellipses
1.5 commas
1.5.1 serial commas
1.6 colons
1.7 semicolons
1.7.1 semicolon before
1.8 hyphens
1.9 dashes
1.9.1 in article titles
1.9.2 punctuating sentence (em or en dashes)
1.9.3 other uses (en dash only)
1.9.3.1 in ranges might otherwise expressed or through
1.9.3.2 in compounds when connection might otherwise expressed to, versus, and, or between
1.9.3.3 instead of hyphen, when applying prefix compound includes space
1.9.3.4 separate parts of item in list
1.9.4 other dashes
1.10 slashes
1.10.1 and/or
1.11 number sign
1.12 terminal punctuation
1.13 spacing
1.13.1 spaces following terminal punctuation
1.14 consecutive punctuation marks
1.15 punctuation , footnotes
1.16 punctuation after formulae
punctuation
mos:punct
mos:
apostrophes
consistent use of straight apostrophe ( ) recommended, opposed curly apostrophe ( ’ ). details , reasons, see § quotation marks, below.
where apostrophe might otherwise misinterpreted wiki markup, use templates {{ }}, {{`}}, , {{ s}}, or use <nowiki> tags, or use ' entity.
characters resembling apostrophes, such transliterated arabic ayin ( ʿ ) , alif ( ʾ ), represented correct unicode characters (that is, u+02bf modifier letter left half ring , u+02be modifier letter right half ring respectively), despite possible display problems. if not feasible, use straight apostrophe instead.
for usage of possessive apostrophe, see § possessives, below.
for thorough treatment of uses of apostrophe (possessive, elision, formation of plurals, specific foreign-language issues) see article apostrophe.
quotation marks
mos:quotemarks
in material below, term quotation includes conventional uses of quotation marks such titles of songs, chapters, episodes, , on.
quotation characters
mos:curly
mos:cq
mos:straight
use straight quotes, not “curly”. (for single quotes or apostrophes: straight , not ‘curly’.)
do not use accent marks, backticks (`text´), or low-high („ “) or guillemet (« ») marks quotation marks (or apostrophes). symbols ′ , ″ seen in edit window dropdowns prime , double-prime; these used indicate subdivisions of degree, not apostrophes or quote marks.
quotation marks , apostrophes in imported material should changed if necessary.
mos:double
mos:single
double or single
enclose quotations double quotation marks (bob said, jim ate apple. ). enclose quotation inside quotation single quotation marks (bob said, did jim ate apple after left? ). there exceptions, such as:
plant cultivars take single quotation marks (malus domestica golden delicious ; see wp:naming conventions (flora)).
simple glosses translate or define unfamiliar terms take single quotes (cossack comes turkic qazaq, freebooter ).
article openings
in bolded text typically appearing @ opening of article:
any quotation marks part of title should in bold rest of title (from alibi: alibi mystery novel ...).
quotation marks not part of article title should not bolded (from jabberwocky: jabberwocky nonsense poem ...; buffalo bill: william frederick buffalo bill cody american scout, bison hunter, , showman ...).
punctuation before quotations
the use of comma before quotation embedded within sentence optional, if non-quoted otherwise identical construction work grammatically without comma:
the report stated there 45% reduction in transmission rate. (cf. non-quotation report stated there 45% reduction in transmission rate.)
the report stated, there 45% reduction in transmission rate.
the comma-free approach used partial quotations:
the report observed 45% reduction in transmission rate .
free central anaïs nin s experience of life, wrote shrinks or expands in proportion 1 s courage .
commas used interrupted quotations:
life , anaïs nin wrote, shrinks or expands in proportion 1 s courage.
a comma required when present in same construction if none of material quotation:
in margaret mead s view, must recognize whole gamut of human potentialities enrich our culture.
do not insert comma if confuse or alter meaning:
caitlyn jenner expressed concerns children coming terms being true . (accurate quote of statement children – children coming terms ... )
caitlyn jenner expressed concerns children, coming terms being true . (changes meaning imply jenner expressing concern children, while separately observing children, in general, coming terms ... )
it clearer use colon introduce quotation if forms complete sentence, , should done multi-sentence quotations:
the report stated: there 45% reduction in transmission rate.
albert einstein wrote: logic b. imagination take everywhere.
no additional punctuation necessary explicit words-as-words scenario:
the message unintelligible except fragments , how longer before .
names , titles
quotation marks should used following names , titles:
for example: song example album example band example.
do not use quotation marks or italics for:
many, not all, of above items should in title case.
punctuation inside or outside
mos:lq
mos:tq
on english wikipedia, use logical quotation style in articles, regardless of variety of english in written. include terminal punctuation within quotation marks if present in original material, , otherwise place after closing quotation mark. part, means treating periods , commas in same way question marks: keep them inside quotation marks if apply quoted material , outside if apply whole sentence. examples given below.
did darla say, there ? (mark applies whole sentence)
no, said, i? (mark applies quoted material only)
if quotation full sentence , coincides end of sentence containing it, place terminal punctuation inside closing quotation mark. if quotation single word or fragment, place terminal punctuation outside.
marlin said: need find nemo.
marlin needed, said, find nemo .
if quoted sentence has been broken editorial insertion, still include terminal punctuation inside closing quotation mark.
need , said marlin, find nemo.
if quoted sentence followed clause should preceded comma, omit full stop other terminal punctuation, such question mark or exclamation mark, may retained. question should end question mark.
dory said, yes, can read , gave marlin idea.
dory said, yes, can read! , gave marlin idea.
if quoted sentence followed clause identifying speaker, use comma outside quotation mark instead of full stop inside it, retain other terminal punctuation, such question marks.
why sleeping? , asked darla.
fish friends, not food , said bruce.
do not follow quoted words or fragments commas inside quotation marks, except longer quotation has been broken , comma part of full quotation.
fish friends, said bruce, not food.
why , asked darla, sleeping?
brackets , parentheses
mos:b&p
mos:bracket
mos:paren
the rules in section apply both round brackets ( ), called parentheses, , square brackets [ ].
if sentence contains bracketed phrase, place sentence punctuation outside brackets (as shown here). however, 1 or more sentences wholly inside brackets, place punctuation inside brackets. (for examples, see § sentences , brackets, below.) there should no space next inner side of bracket. opening bracket should preceded space, example. may not case if preceded opening quotation mark, opening bracket, or portion of word:
he rose address meeting: (ahem) ... ladies , gentlemen, welcome!
only royal characters in play ([prince] hamlet , family) habitually speak in blank verse.
we journeyed on inter[continental].
there should space after closing bracket, except punctuation mark follows (though spaced dash still spaced after closing bracket) , in unusual cases similar listed opening brackets.
if sets of brackets nested, use different types adjacent levels of nesting; 2 levels, customary have square brackets appear within round brackets. sign of excessively convoluted expression; better recast, linking thoughts commas, semicolons, colons, or dashes.
avoid adjacent sets of brackets. either put parenthetic phrases in 1 set separated commas, or rewrite sentence:
square brackets used indicate editorial replacements , insertions within quotations, though should never alter intended meaning. serve 3 main purposes:
to clarify. (she attended [secondary] school, intended meaning, type of school unstated in original sentence.)
to reduce size of quotation. (x contains y, , under circumstances, x may contain z may reduced x contains y [and z].) when ellipsis (...) used indicate material removed direct quotation, should not bracketed (see § ellipses, below).
to make grammar work. (referring s statement hate laundry , 1 write hate[s] laundry .)
sentences , brackets
if sentence includes material enclosed in square or round brackets, still must end—with period, question mark, or exclamation mark—after brackets. principle applies no matter punctuation used within brackets:
however, if entire sentence within brackets, closing punctuation falls within brackets. (this sentence example.) not apply matter added (or modified editorially) @ beginning of sentence clarity, in square brackets:
that preferable this, potentially ambiguous:
but here consider addition rather replacement of text:
a sentence occurs within brackets in course of sentence not have first word capitalized nor end period (full stop) because starts sentence:
it clearer rewrite single sentence or separate thoughts separate sentences:
brackets , linking
brackets inside of links must escaped:
the <nowiki> markup can used: <nowiki>[doe]</nowiki> or <nowiki>[etc.]</nowiki>.
if url contains square brackets, wiki-text should use url-encoded form http://example.site/foo.php?query=%5bxxx%5dyyy, rather ...query=[xxx]yyy. avoid truncation of link after xxx.
ellipses
mos:ellipsis
mos:dotdotdot
to indicate omission of material quoted text, use ellipsis (plural ellipses): set of 3 unspaced dots: ... (the pre-composed ellipsis character (…), or 3 dots separated spaces (. . .), not recommended.)
use ellipsis if material omitted in course of quotation, unless square brackets used gloss quotation (see § brackets , parentheses, above, , points below).
put space on each side of ellipsis ( france, germany, ... , belgium ), except there should no space between ellipsis and
a quotation mark directly following ellipsis ( france, germany, , belgium ... ).
any (round, square, curly, etc.) bracket, ellipsis on inside ( france, germany (but not berlin, munich, ...), , belgium ).
any terminal punctuation, colon, semicolon, or comma, directly following ellipsis ( going france ...? ).
place terminal punctuation after ellipsis if textually important (as case exclamation marks , question marks , periods).
use non-breaking spaces ( ) needed prevent improper line breaks, example,
to keep quotation mark (and adjacent punctuation) being separated start or end of quotation ( ... we still worried ; going france ...? ).
to keep ellipsis wrapping next line ( france, germany, ... , belgium , not france, germany, ... and belgium ).
pause or suspension of speech
three dots used represent pause in or suspense of speech, in case punctuation retained in original form: virginia s startled reply he ...? no, cannot believe it! . avoid usage except in direct quotations. when indicates incomplete word, no space used between word fragment(s) , ellipsis: garbled transmission ended stranded near san l...o , interpreted reference either san leandro or san lorenzo.
with square brackets
an ellipsis not need square brackets around it, because function obvious. however, square brackets may optionally used precision, make clear ellipsis not quoted; necessary if quoted passage uses 3 periods in indicate pause or suspension. ellipsis should follow principles given above square brackets inserted before , after (her long rant continued: how feel? how think i ... look, has gone far enough! [...] want go home! ).
commas
mos:comma
commas used punctuation marks , can difficult use well. important points regarding use follow below , @ § semicolons.
pairs of commas used delimit parenthetic material, forming appositive. using commas in way interrupts sentence less using round brackets or dashes express parenthetical material. when inserting parenthetical material in sentence, use 2 commas, or none @ all. example:
do not fooled other punctuation, can distract need comma, when collides bracket or parenthesis, in example:
modern writing uses fewer commas; there ways simplify sentence fewer needed.
in geographical references include multiple levels of subordinate divisions (e.g., city, state/province, country), comma separates each element , follows last element unless followed other punctuation. dates in month–day–year format require comma after day, after year, unless followed other punctuation. in both cases, last element treated parenthetical.
on wikipedia, place quotation marks following system described below. called logical quotation (see § punctuation inside or outside quotation marks).
a comma may included before quotation embedded within sentence (see § quotation marks above).
serial commas
mos:serial
mos:oxford
mos:harvard
a serial comma (also known oxford comma or harvard comma) comma used before conjunction (and or or, nor) in list of 3 or more items: phrase ham, chips, , eggs includes serial comma, while ham, chips , eggs omits it. editors may use either convention long each article internally consistent; however, there times when serial comma can create or prevent confusion:
sometimes omitting comma can lead ambiguity:
including comma can cause ambiguity:
in such cases of ambiguity, there 3 ways clarify:
add or remove serial comma.
use paragraph breaks, bullet lists, or numbered paragraphs clarify.
recast sentence (first example above):
to list 4 people: author thanked sinéad o connor, bob marley , parents.
to list 2 people: author thanked bob marley , sinéad o connor, parents.
clearer: author thanked parents, bob marley , sinéad o connor.
or (the commas here set off non-restrictive appositives): author thanked father, bob marley, , mother, sinéad o connor.
recast sentence (second example above):
to list 2 people: author thanked bob marley , mother, sinéad o connor.
to list 3 people: author thanked mother, bob marley, , sinéad o connor.
the clarity of last example depends on reader knowing marley male , cannot mother. if change example slightly, ambiguous statement: author thanked mother, irish president mary mcaleese, , sinéad o connor.
clearer: author thanked bob marley, sinéad o connor, , mother; or author thanked irish president mary mcaleese, sinéad o connor, , mother.
colons
mos:colon
a colon (:) introduces demonstrates, explains, or modifies has come before, or list of items has been introduced. items in such list may separated commas; or, if more complex , perhaps contain commas, items should separated semicolons:
a colon may used introduce direct speech enclosed within quotation marks (see § quotation marks above).
in cases colon works best complete grammatical sentence before it. there exceptional cases, such colon introduces items set off in new lines next colon here. examples:
sometimes (more in american in british usage) word following colon capitalized, if word begins new grammatical sentence, , if colon serves introduce more 1 sentence:
the argument stated: have been given 3 tickets. there 4 of here: you, twins, , me. twins inseparable. therefore, or have stay home.
no sentence should contain more 1 colon. there should never hyphen or dash following colon. single space follows colon.
semicolons
mos:semicolon
mos:commasplice
a semicolon (;) alternative full stop (period), enabling related material kept in same sentence; marks more decisive division in sentence comma. if semicolon separates clauses, each clause must independent (meaning stand on own sentence); in many cases, comma or semicolon correct in given sentence.
above, though had been here before cannot stand on own sentence, , therefore not independent clause.
this incorrect use of comma between 2 independent clauses known comma splice; however, in rare cases, comma may used semicolon seem called for:
a sentence may contain several semicolons, when clauses parallel in construction , meaning; multiple unrelated semicolons signs sentence should divided shorter sentences, or otherwise refashioned.
semicolons used in addition commas separate items in listing, when commas alone result in confusion.
semicolon before
mos:however
the meaning of sentence containing trailing clause starts word depends on punctuation preceding word. common error use wrong punctuation, thereby changing meaning 1 not intended.
when word adverb meaning nevertheless , should preceded semicolon , followed comma. example:
when word conjunction meaning in whatever manner , or regardless of how , may preceded comma not semicolon, , should not followed punctuation. example:
in first case, clause starts cannot swapped first clause; in second case can done without change of meaning:
if 2 clauses cannot swapped, semicolon required.
a sentence or clause can contain word in middle, if adverb meaning although , have been placed @ beginning not start new clause in mid-sentence. in use, word may enclosed between commas. example:
hyphens
mos:hyphen
hyphens (-) indicate conjunction. there 3 main uses:
multi-hyphenated items: possible avoid multi-word hyphenated modifiers rewording (a four-cd soundtrack album may easier read soundtrack album of 4 cds). particularly important converted units involved (the 6-hectare-limit (14.8-acre-limit) rule might possible rule imposing limit of 6 hectares (14.8 acres), , ungainly 4.9-mile (7.9 km) -long tributary 4.9-mile (7.9 km) tributary).
for optional hyphenation of compound points of compass such southwest/south-west, see § compass points, above.
do not use capital letter after hyphen except proper name: graeco-roman , mediterranean-style, not gandhi-like. in titles of published works, follow capitalization rule each part independently (resulting in, e.g., out-of-towners), unless reliable sources consistently otherwise in particular case (the history of middle-earth).
hyphenation rules in other languages may different. thus, in french place name such trois-rivières ( 3 rivers ) hyphenated, when not in english. follow reliable sources in such cases.
spacing: hyphen never followed or preceded space, except when hanging (see above) or when used display parts of words independently, such prefix sub- , suffix ‑less.
image filenames , redirects: image filenames not part of encyclopedic content; tools. useful if can readily typed, use hyphens instead of dashes. similarly, article titles dashes should have corresponding redirect copy of title hyphens: example, michelson-morley experiment redirects michelson–morley experiment.
non-breaking: non-breaking hyphen (‑ or {{nbhyph}}) not used point of line-wrap.
mos:shy
soft hyphens: use soft hyphens mark locations word broken , hyphenated if necessary @ end of line of text, in long words or narrow spaces (such captions, narrow table columns, or text adjacent wide image), example: {{shy| penn|syl|va|nia , mass|a|chu|setts style com|mon|wealths.}}. use sparingly avoid making wikitext difficult read , edit.
hyphenation involves many subtleties cannot covered here; rules , examples presented above illustrate broad principles.
dashes
mos:dash
mos:emdash
mos:mdash
mos:endash
mos:ndash
two forms of dash used on wikipedia: en dash (–) , em dash (—). enter them, click on them right of insert dropdown beneath edit window, or enter them manually – or —, respectively. not substitute double hyphen (--).
sources use dashes in varying ways. consistency , clarity, wikipedia adopts following principles.
in article titles
in article titles, not use hyphen (-) substitute en dash, example in eye–hand span (since eye not modify hand). nonetheless, aid searching , linking, provide redirect hyphens replacing en dash(es), in eye-hand span. similarly, provide category redirects categories containing dashes.
punctuating sentence (em or en dashes)
dashes used mark divisions within sentence: in pairs (parenthetical dashes, instead of parentheses or pairs of commas); or singly (perhaps instead of colon). may indicate abrupt stop or interruption, in reporting quoted speech. in these cases, use either unspaced em dashes or spaced en dashes, consistency in 1 article:
an em dash unspaced (that is, without space on either side):
an en dash spaced (that is, space on each side) when used sentence punctuation:
ideally, use non-breaking space before en dash, prevents en dash occurring @ beginning of line (markup: {{spaced ndash}} or {{snd}} templates, or html character entities ):
but not insert non-breaking or other space en dash should unspaced (see § other uses (en dash only), below).
dashes can clarify sentence structure when there commas or parentheses, or both.
we read them in chronological order: descartes, locke, hume—but not treatise (it complex)—and kant.
use dashes sparingly. more 2 in single sentence makes structure unclear; takes time reader see dashes, if any, form pair.
the birds—at least ones darwin collected—had red , blue feathers.
the— , began, line went dead.
avoid: first—and spectacularly—came bishops—then other clergy. better: first—and spectacularly—came bishops, followed other clergy.
other uses (en dash only)
the en dash (–) has other roles, beyond use sentence-punctuating dash (see above). analogous hyphen (see § hyphens, above), joins components more en dash; or slash (see section below), separates alternatives more definitely. consider exact meaning when choosing use.
in ranges might otherwise expressed or through
pp. 7–19; 64–75%; henry viii reigned 1509–1547
do not change hyphens dashes in filenames, urls or templates {{bibleverse}}, formats verse ranges urls.
do not mix en dashes between or from.
450–500 people
between 450 , 500 people, not between 450–500 people
from 450 500 people, not 450–500 people
from 1961 1962, not 1961–62
between 1961–62 , 1967–68 seasons, ticket sales dropped substantially
if negative values involved, en dash might confusing. use words instead.
−10 10, not −10–10
the en dash in range unspaced, except when either or both elements of range include @ least 1 space.
july 23, 1790 – december 1, 1791 (not july 23, 1790–december 1, 1791)
14 may – 2 august 2011 (not 14 may–2 august 2011)
1–17 september; february–october 2009; 1492 – 7 april 1556
christmas day – new year s eve; christmas 2001 – easter 2002; 10:30 pm tuesday – 1:25 wednesday; 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. (but 6:00–9:30 p.m.)
wavelengths in range 28 mm – 17 m.
in compounds when connection might otherwise expressed to, versus, and, or between
here, relationship thought of parallel, symmetric, equal, oppositional, or @ least involving separate or independent elements. components may nouns, adjectives, verbs, or other independent part of speech. if components reversed there little change of meaning.
boyfriend–girlfriend problems; paris–montpellier route; new york–los angeles flight
iron–cobalt interactions; components parallel , reversible; iron , cobalt retain identity
wrong: iron–roof shed; iron modifies roof, use hyphen: iron-roof shed
wrong: singer–songwriter; not separate persons, use hyphen: singer-songwriter
red–green colorblind; red , green separate independent colors, not mixed
wrong: blue–green algae; blended, intermediate color, use hyphen: blue-green algae
a 51–30 win; 22–17 majority vote; prefer spelling out when using words instead of numerals: six-to-two majority decision, not awkward six–two majority decision; avoid confusingly reversed order: 17–22 majority vote
a 50–50 joint venture; 60–40 split; avoid using slash here, indicates division
the uganda–tanzania war; roman–syrian war; east–west runway; lincoln–douglas debates; carbon–carbon bond
diode–transistor logic; analog–digital distinction; push–pull output; on–off switch
a pro-establishment–anti-intellectual alliance; singapore–sumatra–java shipping lanes
the ballerina s rapid walk–dance transitions; male–female height ratio of 1.14
an en dash between nations; people , things identifying multiple nationalities, use hyphen when applied adjective or space noun.
japanese–american trade; family of japanese-american traders or family of japanese americans
an italian–swiss border crossing; italian-swiss newspaper italian-speaking swiss
france–britain rivalry; french–british rivalry
wrong: franco–british rivalry; franco combining form, not independent, use hyphen: franco-british rivalry
a slash or other alternative may better express ratio, in technical contexts (see § slashes, below).
the protein–fat ratio; protein/fat ratio; protein-to-fat ratio
colons used strictly numeric ratios, avoid confusion subtraction , division: 3:1 ratio; a three-to-one ratio (see wp:manual of style/dates , numbers § ratios).
use en dash names of 2 or more entities in attributive compound.
the seifert–van kampen theorem; alpher–bethe–gamow theory
the seeliger–donker-voet scheme (developed seeliger , donker-voet)
comet hale–bopp or hale–bopp (discovered hale , bopp)
generally, use hyphen in compounded proper names of single entities.
guinea-bissau; bissau capital, , distinguishes country neighboring guinea
wilkes-barre, single city named after 2 people, minneapolis–saint paul, union of 2 cities
john lennard-jones, individual named after 2 families
do not use en dash hyphenated personal names, when used adjectives:
lennard-jones potential hyphen: named after john lennard-jones
do not use spaces around en dash in of compounds above.
instead of hyphen, when applying prefix compound includes space
ex–prime minister thatcher; pre–world war ii aircraft
use punctuation when there compelling grounds retaining construction. example, speech transcribed , cannot re-worded; or in heading has been judged natural common name. otherwise recasting better.
keep: post–september 11 anti-war movement; trans–new guinea languages (existing wikipedia articles)
best recast examples shown above: former prime minister thatcher; aircraft [from] before world war ii
the en dash in of compounds above unspaced.
to separate parts of item in list
spaced en dashes used between parts of list items. below 2 examples.
pairing performers instruments:
james galway – flute; anne-sophie mutter – violin; maurizio pollini – piano.
showing track durations on album:
future – 7:21
ain t no cure love – 6:17
bird on wire – 6:14.
other dashes
do not use substitutes em or en dashes, such combination of 2 hyphens (--). these typewriter approximations.
for negative sign or subtraction operator, use minus sign: −, u+2212 − minus sign (html − · −). input clicking on in insert box beneath edit window or typing −.
slashes
mos:slash
mos:/
generally, avoid joining 2 words slash, called forward slash or solidus ( / ), because suggests words related without specifying how. replace clearer wording.
an example: parent/instructor must present @ times. must both present? (then write parent , instructor.) must @ least 1 present? (then write parent or instructor.) same person? (use hyphen: parent-instructor.)
in circumstances involving distinction or disjunction, en dash (see above) preferable slash: digital–analog distinction.
an unspaced slash may used:
to indicate phonemic pronunciations (rivet pronounced /ˈrɪvət/)
in fraction (7/8), though fraction slash (7⁄8, producing 7⁄8) or {{frac}} template ({{frac|7|8}}, producing ⁄8) preferred
to indicate regular defined yearly periods not coincide calendar years (e.g., 2009/2010 fiscal year), if convention used in reliable sources; see wp:manual of style/dates , numbers § longer periods further explanation
to express ratio, in form in slash conventionally used (e.g., price-to-earnings ratio, or p/e ratio short)
where slash occurs in phrase used outside wikipedia, , different construction inaccurate, unfamiliar, or ambiguous (e.g., www.defense.gov/news/news.aspx)
a spaced slash may used:
to separate run-in lines in quoted poetry or song (to or not be: question: / whether tis nobler in mind suffer / slings , arrows of outrageous fortune), or in quoted prose, careful marking of paragraph break textually important
to separate items include @ least 1 internal space (the ny 31 east / ny 370 exit), reason use of slash unavoidable
to avoid awkward linebreaks, code spaced slashes (and fraction slashes) non-breaking space on left , normal space on right, in: mama told me / better shop around. short constructions, both spaces should non-breaking: x / y.
do not use backslash character ( \ ) in place of slash.
prefer division operator ( ÷ ) slash or fraction slash when representing elementary arithmetic in general text: 10 ÷ 2 = 5. in more advanced mathematical formulas, vinculum or slash preferred:
x
n
n
!
{\displaystyle \textstyle {\frac {x^{n}}{n!}}}
or x/n!. (see wp:manual of style/dates , numbers § common mathematical symbols , help:displaying formula.)
and/or
mos:andor
avoid writing and/or unless ambiguity result, or unless other constructions lengthy or awkward. instead of suffered trauma and/or smoke inhalation, write trauma or smoke inhalation (which interpreted imply or both); or, emphasis or precision, write trauma or smoke inhalation or both. more 2 possibilities present, instead of x, y, and/or z write 1 or more of x, y, , z or or of x, y, , z.
number sign
mos:numbersign
mos:numero
mos:hash
mos:pound
avoid using # symbol (known number sign, hash sign, or pound sign) when referring numbers or rankings. instead write number , no. or nos. ; not use symbol №. example:
an exception issue numbers of comic books, unlike other periodicals given in general text in form #1, unless volume given, in case write volume two, number 7 or vol. 2, no. 7. when using abbreviations, write {{abbr|vol.|volume}}, {{abbr|no.|number}}, or {{abbr|nos.|numbers}}.
terminal punctuation
mos:fullstop
mos:exclamation
mos:period
periods (full stops), question marks, , exclamation marks terminal punctuation—the punctuation marks used end english sentences.
in contexts, no terminal punctuation necessary. in such cases, sentence not start capital letter. see § quotations, § quotation marks, , § sentences , brackets, above. sentence fragments in captions or lists should in cases not end period. see § formatting of captions , § bulleted , numbered lists, below.
for use of 3 periods in succession, see § ellipses, above.
clusters of question marks, exclamation marks, or combination of them (such interrobang), highly informal , inappropriate in wikipedia articles.
use exclamation mark restraint. expression of surprise or emotion unsuited scholarly or encyclopedic register.
question , exclamation marks may used mid-sentence:
why me? wondered.
the homeric question not did homer write iliad? how did iliad come being?, have come realize.
the door flew open bang! made them jump.
spacing
mos:punctspace
in normal text, never put space before comma, semicolon, colon, or terminal punctuation mark (even in quoted material; see allowable typographical changes in § typographic conformity, above).
spaces following terminal punctuation
software condenses 2 or more spaces 1 when rendering page, editors may use spacing style prefer (e.g., single space or 2 spaces after period/full stop – see sentence spacing). adding or removing space used dummy edit.
consecutive punctuation marks
mos:consecutive
where word or phrase includes terminal punctuation ends sentence, not add second terminal punctuation mark. if quoted phrase or title ends in question mark or exclamation mark, may confuse readers nature of article sentence containing it, , better reworded mid-sentence. such word or phrase occurs mid-sentence, new terminal punctuation (usually period) must added @ end.
punctuation , footnotes
mos:punctfoot
wp:paic
mos:refpunct
mos:punctref
mos:refspace
ref tags (<ref>...</ref>) used create footnotes (sometimes called endnotes or notes). ref tags should follow text footnote applies, no intervening space (except possibly hair space, generated {{hsp}}). punctuation (see exceptions below) must precede ref tags. adjacent ref tags should have no space between them. ref tags used explanatory notes, more used citation footnotes.
when ref tags used, footnote list must added, , placed in notes , references section near end of article in standard appendices , footers.
example: flightless birds have reduced keel, , smaller wing bones flying birds of similar size.
exceptions: ref tags placed before dashes, not after; , footnote applies material within parentheses, ref tags belong before closing parenthesis.
example: paris not capital city of england—the capital of london —but of france, , known beautiful city.
example: kim jong-un (korean: 김정은; hanja: 金正恩) third , youngest son of kim jong-il late consort ko young-hee.
punctuation after formulae
a sentence ends formula should have terminal punctuation (period, exclamation mark, or question mark) after formula. within sentence, place other punctuation (such commas or colons) after formula if text not formula. see wp:manual of style/mathematics § punctuation after formulae.
cite error: there <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on page, references not show without {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see page).
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