Ellipses, commas, full stops, question marks, exclamation points – these are all common punctuation staples of writing by and for humans. But there are many more symbols that could be jazzing up your text.
What better way to improve your copy than by getting to know your punctuation options, and discovering how much more exciting everything could be?
Getting up close and personal with your content helps you to iron out any unnecessary quirks and streamline your writing. Becoming a better writer doesn’t have to involve a detailed digital academy course. It can involve simple tips for content creators or an informative blog … like this!
Let’s take a look at some of the top underused punctuation points and marks out there.
Arguably the best-named punctuation marks out there. Kudos to Martin K. Speckter for coming up with this one.
The interrobang is a combination of the question mark (?) and the exclamation mark (!). This lovely term comes from mashing together the 8th-century word for question mark (punctus interrogativus) with the slang term for the exclamation mark (bang). It was a close call though; the creators experimented with calling it the ‘quesclamation mark’ instead. Not nearly as catchy.
You’re probably already using ‘?!’ or ‘!?’ in your writing. A question mark and an exclamation mark are usually used together to express excitement, surprise, or disbelief. The interrobang was invented to combine these marks together to save space and precious characters. Why use two punctuation marks when you could use a single, super cool one?
Say goodbye to awkward, misunderstood sarcasm over text.
The snark mark, or irony mark, was created to signpost all kinds of sarcasm. The backward question mark has undergone many stylistic tweaks since it was first created in 1899. However, dig deep enough and you’ll find writers way back in 1575 complaining about not having a way of showing irony in writing. Clearly, the awkwardness of misread irony has been around for a really long time.
Using the snark mark is very straightforward. Choose it whenever you want to mark sarcasm in your writing or make it clear you’re not being serious. The backward question mark is particularly useful for making sure your rhetorical questions are not taken literally, or that your written sarcasm keeps its witty edge.
A handy way of signposting your content.
The manicule is the ultimate blast from the past. Take a look at medieval manuscripts, and you’ll see tiny hands drawn in the margins of the page. Why? To point out the most important parts of a piece of writing. The tiny hands were so useful that they became standardized punctuation marks. They were given loads of nicknames too, including the printer’s fist, bishop’s fist, digit, and mutton-fist.
Manicule-up your content to make it clearer for people to pick out the most important parts of the text. Think of it as a way of highlighting the key points for your reader when you don’t want to use a feature box or basic arrow.
An exclamation mark that is really sure of itself.
This certitude mark is the equivalent of saying “no further questions” at the end of a sentence. The symbol looks like an exclamation mark crossed with a hyphen and was born in the same era as its sibling punctuation point, the snark mark. Its purpose: to show absolute certainty.
Use this punctuation when you’re talking about something you want to indicate needs no further explanation or discussion. The next time you’re stating something and want to add extra emphasis, choose the certitude point.
An exclamation mark that never lets you down.
This is one of the friendliest, most unusual punctuation marks out there. The acclamation point was invented by Hervé Bazin in 1966 to express kindness and familiarity. The shape of the mark – two exclamation marks sharing a point – is said to resemble the two flags on the front of an important figure’s car.
The acclamation point is perfect for special occasions when you want to emphasize the welcoming and friendly nature of your written content. Anytime you want to show good intentions in your writing, the acclamation point is your go-to guy.
Exotic punctuation might just be your ticket to superior and concise content. In fact, attention-grabbing punctuation, visuals, and formats might just help you:
Whatever your use case, Turtl’s psychology-driven format helps keep readers engaged, and the easy-to-read visuals are a perfect place to try out your new-found punctuation.
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