punct

Punct, short for punctuation, refers to the symbols used in writing to separate, organize, and clarify text. Punctuation marks help indicate sentence boundaries, indicate relationships between ideas, and guide the reader’s rhythm and intonation. They are a fundamental aspect of orthography in many languages and are essential for precise communication.

Common punctuation marks include the period (full stop), comma, semicolon, colon, question mark, and exclamation point. Other important marks are the dash and hyphen, parentheses and brackets, quotation marks, apostrophe, ellipsis, and the slash. Each mark has specific functions: periods end sentences; commas separate items or clauses; quotation marks enclose spoken or cited material; parentheses set off aside information; dashes indicate abrupt breaks or ranges; and brackets show editorial or explanatory material. Abbreviations, possessives, and decimal notation also rely on punctuation.

Historically, punctuation marks arose in ancient manuscripts to aid readability. Early systems varied, and the advent of printing fostered standardization. Modern style guides (for example, APA, Chicago, MLA) provide detailed rules for usage, capitalization, and spacing, though differences persist among languages and contexts.

Usage varies across languages. While many languages share core marks, spacing conventions, quotation styles, and rules for colon or dash placement differ. Some scripts, such as East Asian writing systems, employ different punctuation forms and typographic conventions. In digital typography, punctuation must also consider character encoding, typography rules, and automated typesetting, including issues like smart quotes and non-breaking spaces.