Interrobang

An interrobang is a punctuation mark that combines a question mark and an exclamation point into a single glyph, used to indicate a sentence that is both interrogative and emphatic. It was created in 1962 by American advertising executive Martin K. Wilcox. The name interrobang blends interro(gation) and bang, a printer’s slang for the exclamation point.

Design and forms vary. The most common approach places the question mark and exclamation point into one character, producing a distinctive glyph that overlays the two marks. Some fonts include a dedicated interrobang character, while others require a typographic workaround, such as using a ligature or typing ?! or !? to convey the effect.

Usage and reception are limited by style guides. The interrobang has never become standard in formal writing and is primarily found in informal text, advertising, comics, and stylistic typography. It is often used to convey surprise, disbelief, or rhetorical questioning with emphasis, but many editors prefer separate punctuation or simple combinations (! or ?), depending on readability and house style.

Encoding and typography notes. In digital text, the interrobang is encoded in Unicode as U+203D (the character ‽). Because support varies across fonts and systems, its appearance can differ and in some environments the mark may be unavailable, prompting the use of approximate substitutes or image-based graphics.