The name for this mark depends on its shape and job in the text; match those two clues to learn what this mark is called.
You’ve got a tiny symbol in front of you, and it’s blocking your work. Maybe it’s in a book, a PDF, a math worksheet, a phone keyboard, or a copied line of text. You don’t need a degree in typography to name it. You just need a clean way to sort marks by what they look like, where they sit, and what they do.
This page gives you that sorting method. You’ll learn the everyday name people use, the formal name you’ll see in character menus, and a few look-alikes that cause mix-ups. If you’re trying to search the web, label a diagram, cite a symbol in a paper, or type it again, you’ll be able to move in minutes, not hours.
Fast way to name a mark from its shape
Start with three quick checks. They sound simple, yet they cut out most wrong guesses.
- Count strokes: one line, two lines, three dots, a loop, a hook, a cross.
- Check position: on the baseline, raised, floating, or tucked under a letter.
- Check job: joins words, separates parts, marks a pause, points to a note, or shows math.
Then match what you see to the table. It’s built for the marks people bump into most: punctuation, math operators, editing signs, and the “mystery” symbols that pop up in copied text.
| Mark you see | Common name | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| – | Hyphen | Compound words, line breaks |
| – | En dash | Ranges (10–12), connections (NY–LA) |
| — | Em dash | Breaks in thought, parenthetical asides |
| … | Ellipsis | Omitted text, trailing speech |
| • | Bullet | Lists, slide decks |
| · | Middle dot | Math dot, word spacing in some scripts |
| ′ | Prime | Feet (5′), minutes (12′), math |
| ″ | Double prime | Inches (8″), seconds (30″) |
| “ ” | Curly quotes | Books, word processors |
| ‘ ’ | Curly apostrophe | Contractions, possession |
| § | Section sign | Law and policy sections |
| ¶ | Pilcrow | Paragraph mark in editors |
| † | Dagger | Footnotes, references |
| ‡ | Double dagger | Second footnote mark |
If you’re naming a mark from a screenshot, zoom until edges are crisp, then check if it’s filled.
If your mark isn’t in the list, don’t panic. Most “unknown” marks still fit the same three checks. Once you know whether it’s a dash, a quote, a dot, or a footnote sign, the rest is mostly naming.
Common marks people mix up
Hyphen, en dash, em dash
These three are the top troublemakers because they look like “a line,” yet they behave in different ways.
- Hyphen (-): shortest. It joins parts of a word: “well-known.”
- En dash (–): medium. It often marks a range: “pages 12–18.”
- Em dash (—): longest. It marks a break in a sentence—often like parentheses.
If you copied text from a PDF, a dash may change length when pasted into a different app. That’s why the same sentence can show a hyphen in one place and an em dash in another.
Apostrophe, right single quote, prime
In plain text, an apostrophe often turns into a curly mark: ’. In math and measurement, the prime mark looks close: ′. The clue is spacing and context.
- Apostrophe (’): sits in a word: “don’t,” “Sara’s.”
- Prime (′): sits after a number: 6′ 2″.
If you’re writing measurements, using primes makes your text cleaner than typing a straight quote. If you’re writing words, stick with the apostrophe.
Bullet, middle dot, degree dot
Dots come in many sizes. A bullet is larger and usually centered. A middle dot is smaller and often used as a math operator or separator. A degree symbol is a raised circle, not a dot: °.
Quick test: if the dot is level with lowercase letters, it’s often a middle dot. If it sits higher and forms a clean ring, it’s a degree symbol.
Slash, solidus, fraction slash
Most people call / a “slash.” In standards and character lists, you may see “solidus.” There’s also a fraction slash (⁄) that’s built for fractions and can change how numbers stack in some fonts.
If your mark looks steeper and thinner in a fraction like 1⁄2, you may be seeing the fraction slash.
Hyphen and minus sign
In school worksheets and spreadsheets, you may see two “dash-like” marks that are not the same character. The hyphen (-) is a word joiner. The minus sign (−) is a math operator. In clean typesetting, the minus sign is often a bit longer and sits with more side space, so it lines up with plus (+) and equals (=).
If you’re writing an equation, use the true minus sign when you can. Many math fonts swap it in on their own, yet plain text editors may not. If you paste an equation into a search box and get odd results, a hidden minus sign can be the reason.
Letter lookalikes in formulas
Some symbols are “twins” of letters. The times sign (×) is not the same as the lowercase x. The division sign (÷) is not the same as a slash. The micro sign (µ) can be confused with the Greek letter mu (μ). If you’re citing units or copying a formula, these small swaps can change meaning.
What Is This Mark Called?
When someone asks “what is this mark called?”, they usually want a name they can type into a search box. Here’s a fast path that works on paper, screenshots, and copied text.
- Write a plain description: “long dash,” “double dot,” “P-shaped paragraph sign,” “tiny cross.”
- Match the category: dash, quote, dot, bracket, footnote sign, math operator, currency sign.
- Use the app’s character picker: it often shows the official name when you tap the mark.
- Confirm with one extra clue: where it appears in a sentence or formula.
Try this with the section sign (§). If you saw it before a number in a legal handout, your “job” clue is “labels a section,” which lines up with the name. Try it with ¶ in a writing app. Its “job” clue is “shows paragraph breaks,” which lines up with pilcrow.
If you only have a photo, zoom in and check spacing. Many marks are defined by how they sit next to letters. Curly quotes hug text. Dagger marks tend to sit a bit apart like footnote pointers. Primes almost always follow digits.
What this mark is called in typography and editing
Some marks aren’t meant to appear in final text. They show up while drafting, proofreading, or laying out pages. These signs still have standard names, and those names help you search for the right keyboard entry or font glyph.
Paragraph and break signs
The pilcrow (¶) is the classic paragraph mark. You may see it in word processors when “show hidden marks” is on. A similar sign, the section sign (§), labels sections in law and policy writing.
Footnote marks
The dagger (†) and double dagger (‡) are common footnote symbols when a page runs out of asterisks. They also appear in dictionaries and academic tables.
Copyediting marks you might spot
On paper, editors often use a caret (^) to show where to insert missing text. You might also see a dele sign (⟂-like mark) or a circled letter in some workflows, yet those vary by publisher.
If your mark came from a printed markup sheet, try to identify whether it points to a place in the line (insert, delete, transpose) or labels a block (paragraph, section). That difference narrows the name fast.
How to get the official name and code point
Once you have a likely name, the most reliable check is the Unicode name. Unicode assigns a code point to each character, which stays the same across apps and fonts. The Unicode name is also what many character pickers show.
If you can copy the mark, paste it into a search on the Unicode General Punctuation chart. You’ll see the code point and the formal name near it. If the symbol is used on the web, you can also look up its HTML entity in the HTML named character references table.
Find the name on Windows
Open Character Map, pick a font, then click the symbol. Many versions show the Unicode name at the bottom. If you use Word, you can also insert a symbol and view its code in the dialog.
Find the name on Mac
Open Character Viewer, then search by a plain term like “pilcrow” or “em dash.” When you click a result, the info panel shows the name and code point.
Find the name on iPhone or Android
On phones, long-press keys for alternates. If that fails, use a copy-paste method: search the name, copy the symbol from a trusted source, then paste it into your note or document.
Type these marks on any device
Knowing the name is only half the battle. You often need to type the mark again. The table below lists common options that work in many apps. Some shortcuts depend on a numeric keypad or app settings, so treat them as starting points.
| Mark name | Windows entry | Mac entry |
|---|---|---|
| En dash (–) | Alt+0150 (numpad) | Option+Hyphen |
| Em dash (—) | Alt+0151 (numpad) | Shift+Option+Hyphen |
| Ellipsis (…) | Alt+0133 (numpad) | Option+Semicolon |
| Bullet (•) | Alt+0149 (numpad) | Option+8 |
| Degree (°) | Alt+0176 (numpad) | Shift+Option+8 |
| Section sign (§) | Alt+0167 (numpad) | Option+6 |
| Pilcrow (¶) | Alt+0182 (numpad) | Option+7 |
| Middle dot (·) | Alt+0183 (numpad) | Shift+Option+9 |
If Alt codes don’t work, check two things: your keyboard needs a numeric keypad, and some laptops require an “Fn” layer to enable it. On Mac, shortcuts can vary by keyboard layout, yet the Character Viewer method works across layouts.
Printable checklist for next time
When you hit another mystery symbol, run this quick list. It turns a confusing glyph into a searchable name.
- Is it a line, a dot, a quote, a cross, or a letter-like sign?
- Does it sit on the baseline, float above, or tuck under a letter?
- Is it inside words, between numbers, or near the edge like a note marker?
- Can you copy it into a character picker to read its name?
- Can you confirm the Unicode name and code point?
If you found yourself typing “what is this mark called?” into a search bar, save the name you confirm here. It pays off the next time the same mark shows up.
Two final tips help a lot. First, don’t trust shape alone; context often tells you whether you’re seeing a quote, a prime, or a mark from a different script. Second, once you learn the formal name, save it in a note. Next time you’ll know exactly what to type, and your searches will land on the right results.
If you still feel stuck, type your best guess plus “Unicode name” into a search. That tiny phrase often pulls up the code point page, which then tells you the exact label used across systems.