Note: This is the first post in an occasional series about improving typography. The series is called “Atypical Type.”
It’s a little know fact that there are different types of quotation marks, apostrophes and primes (or tick marks for feet and inches or minutes and seconds). Well, really there are just two kinds: the good kind and the bad kind.
For quotation marks, they should be curly, called smart quotes by Microsoft Word that does them by default now. The pattern should go like this: sixty-six then ninety-nine (see image below). The open quotes should look like the number sixty-six with the center of the six (called the counter) filled in. Likewise, closed quotes should look like the number ninety-nine. The pattern holds true for single quotes, too. A single quote should open with a six and close with a nine.
Good and bad quotation marks. Look for the 66 and the 99 pattern.
In Word, this usually happens automatically (see the Autocorrect preferences below). However, the other day while I was using track changes, the automatic feature didn’t insert the right ones. So pay attention. I have a sneaky suspicion this had to do with whether Word was interpreting the space before a quote or not.
Preferences in Word for "smart quotes."
On the Web, it’s a little trickier. But here’s the list of HTML codes to produce the right quotes:
‘= opening single quote
’ = closing single quote
“ = opening double quote
” = closing double quote
WordPress does the conversion to curly quotes by default. But it isn’t to be trusted. Here’s an example from a recent post where WordPress got confused. So, you can see why some folks would want to strip the autocorrecting brains right out of WordPress. Other blogging platforms need a little assistance from plugins, like Smartypants.
Quotation problem in Word.
In Any Application
On a Mac, you can insert the correct quotes by using key commands. For a Mac, the commands are listed below:
option + ] = opening single quote
option + shift + ] = closing single quote
option + [ = opening double quote
option + shift + [ = closing double quote
Here are the codes for a PC in any program:
Alt+0145 = opening single quote
Alt+0146 = closing single quote
Alt+0147 = opening double quote
Alt+0148 = closing double quote
Single and Loving It
Now something that omniscient Word is not so good at is inserting a single quote or apostrophe when it's supposed to. If you use a single quote or apostrophe at the beginning of a sentence, Word automatically assumed it should be a "six." If you're really using an opening quote that's probably right; however, if you happen to be using a little conversational English or jargon, like below, then what you really need is a "nine."
Incorrect Autocorrect in Word.
The other place I see this happen a lot is with years, like below.
Correct and incorrect single quote for years.
So, in both of these cases, you need to insert your own apostrophe and not let the application do it for you.
Prime Time
Finally, the other instance where most folks use the marks is with feet and inches or minutes and seconds. These are the primes, but I usually hear them called tick marks. See the image below.
Good and bad primes (or tick marks).
In these instances, you don’t want the curly quotes or the bad quotes. What you need are the slanted tick marks. To get these then you need to use the following key commands. Here’s the HTML codes for primes:
’ = single prime
” = double prime
On a Mac, the key strokes are:
option + shift + e = single prime (for feet or minutes)
option + shift + g = double prime (for inches or seconds)
Acknowledgments and some other sites to check out:
I really liked this blog because it was helpful for me to know which quotes are the right ones to use for different things. I can refer back to this when I have to make a professional presentation or paper, looking at this blog I will be able to make it professional.
I really enjoyed this blog. I did not know that you could use different formulas to make different quotation marks. Now that I go back and look at the difference between the quotation marks I can tell that the sixty-six and ninty- nines look more professional. Thanks, so much for all this great information.
This blog was helpful to me. I know that it is important to have uniform structure when writing papers or creating presentations. Thank you for the hints about how to make sure that quotation marks and apostrophes are shaped correctly.
I never really new there was a difference in how certain things are suppose to be structured/ look like when it comes to quotation marks. I have always made the assumption that there was only one way, and Word would “do it for me.” I also never noticed the fact that the tick marks were oriented differently.
It is an article for us. I learned how to use quote well. It helps me to correct my original thinking and using style. I will try to use this web page to help me next time.
I must admit I have never noticed the difference. Now, I will be looking at every punctuation mark. It does look better when they are 66s and 99s. Beginning direction is another item I will be checking.
This article really has my eyes open. I have gone back to old documents and realized that my quotation marks were not the good ones! I really like the analogy with the 66 and 99 pattern as well. It really creates a visual in my mind that I will be able to remember.