What Are Punctuation Marks and Special Characters?
Punctuation marks are symbols used in writing to separate sentences, indicate pauses, and clarify meaning. Special characters extend this set to include mathematical operators, currency signs, programming tokens, and typographic marks. Every symbol has at least one official English name — and many have several alternate names that differ between American and British English or between technical disciplines.
Output Format Options
When converting symbols to words, you can control how the word name appears in the output. Choose the format that best suits your use case:
[Square Bracket]
Hello [at] world [ampersand] co.
Default. Clearly marks converted symbols without breaking reading flow. Ideal for accessibility descriptions and documentation.
Inline
Hello at world ampersand co.
No delimiters. Best for text-to-speech conversion or natural-language contexts where brackets would be distracting.
(Parenthesis)
Hello (at) world (ampersand) co.
Round brackets. A common editorial convention for inserting clarifying text inside a quotation.
American vs. British English Symbol Names
Several symbols have different preferred names in American English (AmE) and British English (BrE). The detail card shown when you enter a single symbol highlights any differences. Here are the most important ones:
| Symbol | 🇺🇸 American English | 🇬🇧 British English |
|---|---|---|
| # | pound sign | hash |
| ! | exclamation point | exclamation mark |
| . | period | full stop |
| ( | open parenthesis | open bracket |
| " | quotation mark | inverted commas |
When to Use This Tool
Accessibility & Screen Readers
Replace symbols with words so screen readers announce the correct meaning — for example, "at" instead of the symbol @.
Learning & Education
Identify unfamiliar symbols in source code, legal documents, or academic papers. The lookup table covers 50+ symbols with usage notes.
Programming & Documentation
Generate readable descriptions of code snippets — useful for code reviews, tutorials, or writing alt text for code screenshots.
Translation & Localisation
Word names help translators understand context. AmE vs. BrE labels ensure you use the right regional term (hash vs. pound sign).
Frequently Asked Questions
Hello @ world becomes Hello [at] world.ampersand and the tool returns the matching symbol &. It also accepts alternate names such as hash, pound, or octothorpe for #.@ # & * ~ ^ | \ / - _ ! ? . , : ; ' "( ) [ ] { }< > + = ± × ÷ ≠ ≈ ≤ ≥ ∞ π °$ € £ ¥ ¢© ® ™ — – … ¶ § ` (backtick)#.# symbol when it precedes a keyword on social media platforms.-, U+002D) — Joins compound words (well-known) or shows a word break at the end of a line.–, U+2013) — Indicates a range between two values (pages 10–20, 2019–2024). Its width equals the letter "n".—, U+2014) — Marks a strong break in a sentence—like this—or replaces a colon or parentheses. Its width equals the letter "m".Alt+0150 and the em dash with Alt+0151. On a Mac, use Option+- for en dash and Option+Shift+- for em dash.Hello [at] world — The word name is wrapped in square brackets to clearly distinguish it from surrounding text.Hello at world — The word name replaces the symbol directly, with no delimiters.Hello (at) world — The word name is wrapped in round brackets.ampersand → &hash → #caret → ^octothorpe, pound, hashtag, or number sign, the tool still returns #. If no match is found, a helpful suggestion is shown with alternate names to try.