Colon : vs Semicolon ;: What’s the Difference?
The colon : and semicolon ; are related-looking punctuation marks with different functions. A colon consists of two vertically aligned dots. A semicolon has a dot-like upper mark…
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Tilde ~ vs Similar-To ∼: What’s the Difference?
The tilde ~ and the mathematical tilde operator ∼ can look almost identical. In many fonts, both appear as a short horizontal wave. They are different Unicode characters.…
Read more →Underscore _ vs Hyphen -: What’s the Difference?
The underscore _ and hyphen - are both common keyboard characters. In technical text they are often used to separate words, form names, or build identifiers when ordinary…
Read more →Section Sign § vs Pilcrow ¶: What Do They Mean?
The section sign § and pilcrow ¶ are traditional document symbols associated with the structure of written text. In many modern conventions, the section sign refers to a…
Read more →Question Mark ? vs Interrobang ‽ vs ?!: What’s the Difference?
The question mark ?, interrobang ‽, and the sequence ?! can all appear in questions that express surprise, disbelief, urgency, or strong emotion. They are not the same…
Read more →Less-Than and Greater-Than Signs vs Angle Brackets ⟨ ⟩
The characters < and > are often called angle brackets in computing. Their Unicode names, however, are LESS-THAN SIGN and GREATER-THAN SIGN. Unicode also contains dedicated mathematical angle…
Read more →Bullet • vs Middle Dot · vs Dot Operator ⋅: What’s the Difference?
The bullet •, middle dot ·, and dot operator ⋅ are different Unicode characters that can all appear as dots near the middle of a line. Their exact…
Read more →Vertical Bar | vs Double Vertical Line ‖ vs Parallel Symbol ∥
The vertical bar |, double vertical line ‖, and parallel symbol ∥ can look almost identical, especially in fonts that draw them as simple upright strokes. They are…
Read more →Prime ′ vs Apostrophe ‘ vs Right Single Quote ’: How to Tell Them Apart
The prime ′, straight apostrophe ', and right single quotation mark ’ can be difficult to distinguish at normal text sizes. They may all appear as small raised…
Read more →Straight Quotes vs Curly Quotes: What’s the Difference?
Straight quotes and curly quotes can perform the same basic job in written language, but they are not the same Unicode characters. Straight characters such as " and…
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