Straight vs Curly Quotes: How to Type Them on Any Device (“ ” ‘ ’ ” ‘)
Straight quotes (” and ‘) and curly quotes (” ” and ‘ ‘) are two different versions of the same punctuation mark, and choosing the wrong one in the wrong place can break code or make writing look unpolished. Straight quotes — also called typewriter quotes or dumb quotes — sit vertically and are typed directly from your keyboard’s apostrophe key. Curly quotes — also known as smart quotes or typographic quotes — curve left or right depending on whether they open or close a phrase, and are usually generated automatically by word processors. As a quick rule: use straight quotes in code, spreadsheets, and plain text, and use curly quotes in articles, books, and any writing meant to look professionally typeset. This guide covers exactly how to type both styles across every major platform, plus the Word and Google Docs settings that control which one appears automatically.
Quick Reference: Straight vs Curly Quotes
| Symbol | Name | Also Called | Unicode |
|---|---|---|---|
| “ | Straight double quote | Plain/dumb quote | U+0022 |
| ‘ | Straight single quote | Apostrophe | U+0027 |
| “ | Left double curly quote | Opening smart quote | U+201C |
| “ | Right double curly quote | Closing smart quote | U+201D |
| ‘ | Left single curly quote | Opening smart apostrophe | U+2018 |
| ‘ | Right single curly quote | Closing smart apostrophe | U+2019 |
Straight Quotes vs Curly Quotes: The Core Difference
| Type | Symbols | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Straight quotes | ” and ‘ | Code, formulas, spreadsheets, CSV files, plain text |
| Curly quotes | ” ” and ‘ ‘ | Articles, books, blog posts, reports, polished writing |
Straight quotes are vertical and don’t lean in any direction, which is exactly why programming languages rely on them — a parser needs a single, unambiguous character. Curly quotes have a distinct opening shape (“, ‘) and closing shape (“, ‘), which is what gives professionally typeset text its refined look.
How to Type Straight Quotes on a Keyboard
Straight Double Quote (“)
- Place your cursor where you want the symbol.
- Hold Shift.
- Press the apostrophe key (usually located near Enter).
This produces “. Example: “Hello”
Straight Single Quote / Apostrophe (‘)
- Place your cursor where you want the symbol.
- Press the apostrophe key without Shift.
This produces ‘. Examples: ‘Hello’, don’t, John’s book
How Curly Quotes Get Created Automatically
Most writing apps include a feature called smart quotes (or smart punctuation) that converts straight quotes into curly ones as you type. Turn this on, and typing “Hello” automatically becomes “Hello” — no special keystrokes needed. This is the easiest way to produce curly quotes in apps like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Apple Pages, and many phone keyboards.
Typing Quotes in Microsoft Word
Letting Word Auto-Convert to Curly Quotes
With smart quotes enabled, simply type a quote normally and Word converts it for you — “Hello” becomes “Hello”.
Turning Smart Quotes On or Off
- Click File → Options → Proofing.
- Click AutoCorrect Options.
- Open the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
- Find Straight quotes with smart quotes.
- Check the box to enable curly quotes, or uncheck it to keep straight quotes.
- Click OK.
Typing Curly Quotes Manually with Alt Codes
| Symbol | Name | Alt Code |
|---|---|---|
| “ | Left double curly quote | Alt + 0147 |
| “ | Right double curly quote | Alt + 0148 |
| ‘ | Left single curly quote | Alt + 0145 |
| ‘ | Right single curly quote | Alt + 0146 |
- Turn on Num Lock.
- Hold Alt.
- Type the four-digit code on the numeric keypad.
- Release Alt.
Typing Curly Quotes with Unicode + Alt X
| Symbol | Unicode Code |
|---|---|
| “ | 201C |
| “ | 201D |
| ‘ | 2018 |
| ‘ | 2019 |
Type the code, then press Alt + X to convert it — for example, typing 201C and pressing Alt + X produces “.
Typing Quotes in Excel and Google Sheets
Excel and Google Sheets formulas almost always require straight quotes, not curly ones.
Correct:
=IF(A1="Yes","Approved","Rejected")
Incorrect (will likely cause an error):
=IF(A1="Yes","Approved","Rejected")
A useful spreadsheet trick: typing an apostrophe before a number forces it to be treated as text. For example, typing ‘00123 displays as 00123 while preserving the leading zeros — handy for ZIP codes or ID numbers that shouldn’t lose their formatting.
Neither Excel nor Sheets auto-converts straight quotes into curly ones the way Word does. If you need curly quotes as plain text (not inside a formula), copy and paste them from the reference table above, or use the Word Alt codes (Alt + 0147, 0148, 0145, 0146) if you’re on Windows.
Typing Quotes in PowerPoint and Google Docs
PowerPoint
PowerPoint follows the same Shift + apostrophe shortcut for straight quotes and may auto-convert to curly quotes if smart quotes are active. You can also insert curly quotes manually using the same Alt codes as Word, or copy-paste them directly.
Google Docs
- Go to Tools → Preferences.
- Check Use smart quotes to enable automatic curly-quote conversion, or uncheck it to keep straight quotes.
- Click OK.
To insert a curly quote manually without relying on auto-conversion:
- Go to Insert → Special characters.
- Search left double quotation mark, right double quotation mark, left single quotation mark, or right single quotation mark.
- Click your chosen symbol.
Typing Quotes on Mac
Mac keyboards use the same Shift + apostrophe combination for straight quotes, but also include dedicated shortcuts for curly quotes — useful when you want to bypass auto-correction entirely.
| Symbol | Name | Mac Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| “ | Left double curly quote | Option + [ |
| “ | Right double curly quote | Option + Shift + [ |
| ‘ | Left single curly quote | Option + ] |
| ‘ | Right single curly quote | Option + Shift + ] |
Typing Quotes on Chromebook, iPhone, and Android
Chromebook
Standard keyboard shortcuts work for straight quotes. For curly quotes, copy-paste is simplest, or use Unicode input:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + U.
- Type the code (for example, 201c).
- Press Enter or Space to produce “.
iPhone and iPad
- Tap 123 to access the numbers and symbols keyboard.
- Tap the quote key, or tap and hold it to reveal style variations (“, “, “, ‘, ‘, ‘).
To control automatic conversion, go to Settings → General → Keyboard and toggle Smart Punctuation on or off. With it on, your iPhone tends to favor curly quotes; with it off, straight quotes are more likely to stick.
Android
- Tap ?123 or your keyboard’s symbols key.
- Tap the quote symbol, or tap and hold for additional styles if your keyboard supports it.
If curly quote variants aren’t available on your specific keyboard app, copy-paste from the reference table above.
Typing Quotes in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python
HTML Codes
| Symbol | Name | HTML Code |
|---|---|---|
| “ | Straight double quote | " or " |
| ‘ | Straight single quote | ' |
| “ | Left double curly quote | “ or “ |
| “ | Right double curly quote | ” or ” |
| ‘ | Left single curly quote | ‘ or ‘ |
| ‘ | Right single curly quote | ’ or ’ |
Example: “Hello” displays as “Hello”
CSS
.example::before {
content: "Hello";
}
Straight quotes are the safer choice for CSS string values; reserve curly quotes only for cases where they’re part of the actual displayed text.
JavaScript and Python
Both languages expect straight quotes to define strings — curly quotes will cause a syntax error.
// Correct
const name = "John";
const message = 'Hello';
// Incorrect — this will break
const name = "John";
# Correct
name = "John"
message = 'Hello'
# Incorrect — this will break
name = "John"
If code stops working right after you paste it from Word or Google Docs, the most likely cause is that straight quotes were silently converted to curly ones during typing.
Why Straight Quotes Matter in Code
Programming languages, markup formats, and structured data formats are built around the expectation of a single, unambiguous quote character. Curly quotes introduce four different code points where code expects one, which most parsers can’t interpret correctly.
Use straight quotes in:
- JavaScript and Python strings
- HTML attributes
- CSS values
- PHP and SQL
- JSON files
- CSV data
- Command-line examples
JSON example:
{
"name": "John"
}
Using curly quotes here would make the JSON invalid and cause a parsing failure.
Why Curly Quotes Matter in Writing
For anything meant to read as polished, professionally formatted text — blog posts, books, reports, marketing copy — curly quotes are the typographic standard. Compare “Writing looks plain.” against “Writing looks polished.” — the curved marks visually signal a finished, edited document rather than a raw text file.
Apostrophe vs. Single Quote: Clearing Up the Confusion
The straight apostrophe and the straight single quote share the exact same keyboard character (‘), which is why they’re easy to mix up.
| Symbol | Name |
|---|---|
| ‘ | Straight apostrophe / straight single quote |
| ‘ | Curly apostrophe / right single curly quote |
In polished writing, contractions and possessives should use the curly closing quote: don’t, John’s, it’s — not the leaning opening quote (‘don’t, ‘John’s). This is one of the most common formatting slips in word processors when smart quotes are toggled inconsistently.
Quote Marks vs. Foot and Inch Marks
Straight quotes are frequently borrowed informally to represent feet and inches, even though dedicated symbols exist for that purpose.
| Symbol | Name | Proper Use |
|---|---|---|
| ‘ | Straight single quote | Often misused as a foot mark |
| “ | Straight double quote | Often misused as an inch mark |
| ′ | Prime | Correct foot mark |
| ″ | Double prime | Correct inch mark |
Casual writing like 5′ 8″ is widely understood and accepted, but technical or professional documents — engineering specs, architectural drawings — should use the true prime (′) and double prime (″) symbols instead.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Example of the Error | Correct Version |
|---|---|---|
| Curly quotes inside code | const text = "Hello"; | const text = "Hello"; |
| Straight quotes in formal writing | “Hello,” she said. | “Hello,” she said. |
| Reversed opening/closing direction | “Hello” | “Hello” |
| Wrong apostrophe direction | don’t | don’t |
| Pasting Word text directly into code | Quotes silently turn curly | Strip formatting or retype quotes as straight |
Troubleshooting: Why Do My Quotes Keep Changing?
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Word converts ” to ” automatically | Smart Quotes is enabled | File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options → AutoFormat As You Type → uncheck “Straight quotes with smart quotes” |
| Google Docs converts quotes unexpectedly | Smart quotes preference is on | Tools → Preferences → uncheck “Use smart quotes” |
| iPhone keeps producing curly quotes | Smart Punctuation is enabled | Settings → General → Keyboard → toggle Smart Punctuation off |
| Pasted code stops working | Curly quotes snuck in from a word processor | Retype the quotes manually, or use a plain-text editor before pasting into code |
| Keyboard produces an unexpected symbol | Regional keyboard layout difference | Check your language/keyboard settings, or copy-paste the symbol directly |
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between straight and curly quotes? Straight quotes (” ‘) are vertical and identical whether opening or closing a phrase, while curly quotes (” ” ‘ ‘) curve in different directions depending on whether they open or close text — and they use entirely different Unicode characters.
How do I type a straight double quote? Press Shift + the apostrophe key, typically located near Enter on most keyboard layouts.
How do I type curly quotes in Word? Enable Smart Quotes under File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options → AutoFormat As You Type, then type normally — Word converts the quotes automatically. Alternatively, use Alt + 0147, 0148, 0145, or 0146 for manual entry.
How do I type curly quotes on a Mac? Use Option + [ for “, Option + Shift + [ for “, Option + ] for ‘, and Option + Shift + ] for ‘.
Should I use straight quotes or curly quotes? Use straight quotes for code, formulas, spreadsheets, and plain text files. Use curly quotes for articles, books, reports, and any writing meant to look professionally formatted.
Why do curly quotes break my code? Programming languages parse straight quotes as the standard string delimiter. Curly quotes are different Unicode characters entirely, so most compilers and interpreters won’t recognize them as valid quotation marks.
What’s the HTML code for curly quotes? Use “ for “, ” for “, ‘ for ‘, and ’ for ‘.
Is an apostrophe the same as a single quote? The straight versions share one identical character (‘), but the curly apostrophe is technically the same character as the right single curly quote (‘), which is why contractions like don’t use that closing-style mark.
