Left Single Quotation Mark Symbol
‘ is the left single quotation mark used to open a quoted phrase.
U+2018
The character ‘ is called the Left Single Quotation Mark. It’s a punctuation mark used in typeset and formatted text when starting a single-quoted passage. You can copy it directly or use its Unicode/HTML forms in code.
Left Single Quotation Mark Symbol Meaning
‘ (U+2018) is a punctuation character specifically meant to mark the opening (left) side of a single quotation. In many writing and publishing styles, it pairs with a right single quotation mark to form complete quotation marks around a word or phrase. Compared with the plain apostrophe (') it has a distinct typographic role and is often used in “curly quotes” contexts. In practice, you’ll see it in formatted documents, typography-focused web content, and systems that support smart punctuation. If your text is meant to follow typographic conventions, using U+2018 helps the opening quote render correctly and consistently.
Common uses
- •Opening a single quotation in formatted text (e.g., a quoted word or phrase)
- •Creating curly quotes in documents where typographic punctuation matters
- •Writing dialogue or quoted titles using single-quote styling
- •Designing social media or UI text that uses proper typographic quotes
- •Using the correct opening mark in web/email templates that rely on Unicode punctuation
Examples
‘ Left Single Quotation Mark (U+2018)
- ‘She said, ‘Hello!’
- ‘The term ‘latency’ can mean different things by context.
- ‘I’m quoting ‘the user should be able to edit’ exactly.
- ‘He replied, ‘Yes, that works.’
- ‘The book chapter is titled ‘Designing for Clarity’.
Variations
Ready to copy
Technical codes
| Unicode | U+2018 | |
| HTML Entity | ‘ | |
| HTML Code | ‘ | |
| CSS | \2018 | |
| Alt Code | Alt + 8216 | |
| Decimal | 8216 |
How to type Left Single Quotation Mark Symbol (‘)
On Windows
Hold Alt and type 8216 on the numeric keypad. In Word, type 2018 then press Alt + X.
On Mac
Switch to the Unicode Hex Input keyboard, then hold Option and type 2018. Or press Control + Command + Space and search.
On Linux
Press Control + Shift + U, type 2018, then press Enter or Space.
Anywhere
Copy ‘ with the button above and paste it wherever you need it — this works on every device and in every app, with no keyboard shortcut to remember.
FAQ
What does the Left Single Quotation Mark symbol mean?
‘ (U+2018) is a punctuation character specifically meant to mark the opening (left) side of a single quotation. In many writing and publishing styles, it pairs with a right single quotation mark to form complete quotation marks around a word or phrase. Compared with the plain apostrophe (') it has a distinct typographic role and is often used in “curly quotes” contexts. In practice, you’ll see it in formatted documents, typography-focused web content, and systems that support smart punctuation. If your text is meant to follow typographic conventions, using U+2018 helps the opening quote render correctly and consistently.
Is ‘ the same as an apostrophe (')?
No. ‘ is the Left Single Quotation Mark (U+2018), used as the opening quote in typesetting. An apostrophe (') is a different character with a different typographic role.
What Unicode character is ‘?
‘ is U+2018, named LEFT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK.
How do I write ‘ in HTML?
Use the entity ‘.
How do I include ‘ in JavaScript?
One option is \u{2018}.