Here are some of the signs you may encounter on your keyboard, without knowing their names. Some of these signs, when they are encountered on a page,are read as if they are words. Some tell you how to pronounce what is written, or whether it is a question or a statement. Some marks help to divide what we write into sensible ideas--as we might do with our voice when speaking.
~ This is a tilde. It is used in Spanish to spell some words properly, or in English dictionaries to show how a word is pronounced.
@ This symbol actually means "at". It is read "at". A grocer or accountant might use it to show the price per item of a number of items, for example--
6 apple @10 cents each ( 6 apple at ten cents each ).
# This sign means "number", used to denote where an item ranks in a series or set, for example--
This is #3, is read "this is number three".
# is also the symbol for pounds, used as a measurement of weight, for example--
The recipe calls for a #5 can of peas ( a number five can of peas ).
^ This is a caret. It is used to show where a word or words should be inserted, or put into, a sentence.
& This is an ampersand. It means and, and is usually read "and", for example--
A & E is read aloud "A and E".
* This is an asterisk. It tells you to note or pay attention, specifically to look for a matching asterisk that may have further information about what you are reading.
( ) These are parentheses. They are always used in a matching set. The words inside the parentheses usually tell you something more about the sentence they are interrupting--a sort of "by the way" sign.
+ This is a plus or and sign, read "plus" or "and".
= This is an "equals" sign, read "equals". For example, 5 +5=10 ( five plus five equals ten ).
% This is a percent sign, read "percent". Percent means how many out of a hundred, like cents out of a dollar.
10%, read ten percent, means ten out of every hundred.
! This is an exclamation point, used to show excitement or surprise. If you are reading something aloud ( out loud ) and encounter this sign, you might raise your voice or sound more emotional.
"" These are quotation marks. I typed two of them because they are always used in a pair. The words between the quotation marks were said or written by someone else, for example--
He said "don't go near the water".
The quotation marks mean that the person writing that didn't say it, but is reporting what someone else said. The words between the quotation marks should be the actual words of another speaker or writer, not just information about what was said, for example--
Dad said we should stay away from the water. This doesn't have quotation marks because it is not a quote, just some information passed along in the speaker's or writer's own words.
[ ] These are brackets, also always used in a pair. They are used to show that the words enclosed within the brackets are not part of the original text, meaning the author's words. Brackets might enclose the modern spelling of a word in an old reprinted work, for example. This shows they were not part of the original, but that an editor or compiler wanted you to know something about the work while you were in the middle of reading it.
{ } These are braces, usually used in math problems.
< This means "less than" in math, for example--
2 < 5 ( two is less than five ).
> This means "greater than" in math, for example--
5>2 ( five is greater than two ).
-- This is a dash or hyphen. It types in the middle of the letter. It is used to show a pause when speaking, or a separation of ideas when writing.
__ This is an underline, although it won't work that way on most keyboards. A row of these will make a line across the page, to separate one part from another, like this___________________________
$ This is the familiar dollar sign. It is read aloud as "dollars", or , if the actual number of dollars is specified as one, as "dollar".
' This is an apostrophe--it prints at the top of a letter. It is used to denote possession, meaning something that belongs to someone or something, for example--
That is John's house.
An apostrophe and an "s" are added to show the idea of possession. This is not done with words that are already "possessive", for example, yours, his, hers, and the possessive its.
An apostrophe is also used to indicate a contraction, meaning two words we have combined by leaving out a letter or letters and putting in an apostrophe, for example--
Do not do that. Don't do that.
I will not. I won't.
It is not. It isn't.
It is mine. It's mine.
, This is a comma--it prints at the bottom of a letter. A comma separates more than one word used to describe something. A comma separates parts of the same thought into manageable bits. It is the same as a short pause when speaking.
: This is a colon. It denotes a sort of complete stop, usually meaning a list to follow.
; This is a semicolon. It is used to show that two distinct and separate thoughts are actually related to each other in one sentence.
? This is a question mark. It means the sentence is a question. In writing, it must be at the end of every question, or it isn't really a question, which might be confusing.
/ This is a slash, used to mean either/or. The slash is also used to type a fraction.
\ This is a backslash.
. Last and least, this is a "dot" or period. It denotes the end of a sentence.
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