An enthusiastic demonstration of honor, goodwill, or welcome; a written equivalent of the two flags on the front of the Pope’s car, according to its inventor.
Hervé Bazin
1966
Paris, France
This mark allows the writer to use an exclamation point in the middle of a sentence, which proves especially useful when the ending clause doesn’t carry the same enthusiastic tone as the former clause.
Sigmund Silber
Leonard Storch
Haagen Ernst Van
1992
Canada
This mark combines an exclamation point with a question mark, allowing the writer to denote shock or bemusement with only one character.
Martin K. Speckter
1962
New York, New York
Ending a sentence with a period can convey spitefulness, while overusing an exclamation point instead to lighten the tone renders it meaningless over time. The ElRey (Spanish for “the king”) resides in the emotional range between the two marks.
Ellen Susan
2013
New York, New York
An “extra emotional typographic character,” according to its inventor, this mark (placed at the beginning of the sentence) indicates a state of affairs that is contrary to what one expects, and is often used to evoke humor.
Marcellin Jobard
1841
Brussels, Belgium
The more formal equivalent of <3, this mark is intended to denote a statement of affection.
Hervé Bazin
1966
Paris, France
Similar to the ElRey, this mark combats misperception of a period by lightening the tone of what would otherwise be read as a bitter or sarcastic sentence.
Courtenay Hameister
2010
Portland, Oregon
Intended to convey a note of expertise, this mark can also be used to indicate an order that should be taken seriously, coming from a voice of authority.
Hervé Bazin
1966
Paris, France
This mark is used to let the reader know that the writer is absolutely certain something is true.
Hervé Bazin
1966
Paris, France
This copyrighted symbol can be used to “emphasize a sarcastic phrase, sentence, or message,” according to its inventors.
Douglas and Paul Sak
2006
Utica, Michigan
Used to ask a question that isn’t intended to be answered, implying the writer already knows the answer.
Henry Denham
1580s
London, England
Contrary to the certitude point, the doubt point should be used when the writer wants to end a sentence with a skeptical tone.
Hervé Bazin
1966
Paris, France
Want to ask a question without ending a sentence? The question comma can be placed in the middle of a sentence since the period element has been replaced by a comma.
Sigmund Silber
Leonard Storch
Haagen Ernst Van
1992
Canada
This mark helps the reader understand when the meaning of a sentence is different than what the sum of its words appear to mean.
Henry Denham
1580s
London, England
Do you ever find it difficult to articulate certain feelings, meanings, or tones in written communication? Ever had an email, text, or tweet completely misinterpreted?
It's not your fault! Nuances like sarcasm, certitude, and irony can be difficult to convey because of the gap between our expression in verbal language versus written language.
For centuries, authors and typographers developed new punctuation marks to help bridge the gap. But as the English language evolved, many of these marks were deemed extraneous and unorthodox, unable to find a permanent place in our writing.
Today, email, text messaging, and social media are the primary means of communication for most. In fact, texting is the most used form of communication for American adults under 50 (Gallup). What’s more, there are 3.7 billion email users worldwide who send and receive about 269 billion emails per day (Radicatti Group), and over 2.8 billion active social media users (Tracx). As citizens of the technology era, there is an undeniable need for optimal clarity in our writing.
Progressive Punctuation is a movement focused on effective written communication. By increasing awareness of unused punctuation marks, we hope to begin a discussion about the present and future states of our writing, and eventually integrate the marks into our language, ending misunderstandings and misinterpretations once and for all.
Contact us
Know about a mark we didn’t include? Invent your own mark? Interested in helping bring lost punctuation marks to use? Have feedback about the site? We want to hear from you.
Design and concept: Jeremy Ford
Development: Brian Stern and Amalgam
Additional support: Ed Moss, Win Lin, Madeline Vu, Arti Villa, Dan Rudy, Legarlin Li. Thank you all.
We will never send spam or share your information with anyone else.
Unsubscribe anytime (though we hope you won't want to).