Software & Apps > Apps 107 107 people found this article helpful How to Type Curly Quotes and Curly Apostrophes Use keyboard shortcuts, HTML codes, or the Windows Character Map By Jacci Howard Bear Jacci Howard Bear Twitter Writer A graphic designer, writer, and artist who writes about and teaches print and web design. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on June 11, 2021 Reviewed by Lisa Mildon Reviewed by Lisa Mildon Facebook Twitter Southern New Hampshire University Lisa Mildon is a Lifewire writer and an IT professional with 30 years of experience. Her writing has appeared in Geekisphere and other publications. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Apps Best Apps Payment Services What to Know In Microsoft Word: Type ALT+0145 for a left single quotation mark and ALT+0146 for a right single quotation mark (or apostrophe).Type ALT+0147 for a left double quotation mark and ALT+0148 for a right double quotation mark.In macOS: Type Option+] for a left single quote, Shift+Option+] for a right quote, Option+[ for a left double, or Shift+Option+[ for a right. This article explains how to type and use curly quote marks (also called smart quotes) and apostrophes in all current versions of Microsoft Windows and macOS. Create Smart Quotes in Microsoft Word To manually insert smart quotes, the keyboard must have a numeric keypad. The Num Lock key must be activated. To use the numeric codes, press and hold the Alt key, then type the four-digit character code on the numeric keypad. Use ALT+0145 and ALT+0146 for the left and right single quotation mark or apostrophe, respectively. Use ALT+0147 and ALT+0148 for the left and right double quotation marks, respectively. Use the numeric keypad and not the row of numbers above the alphabet. The top number row does not work for this procedure. If your keyboard lacks a numeric keypad, use the Character Map. To launch it, press Win+R and type charmap in the Run box. When it opens, find the character you want to insert, then choose Select. Select Copy when all the characters you want to add have been selected, then paste them into the document. The great thing about Character Map is that it supports all possible glyphs within a typeface, not only the ones accessible from the keyboard. Create Smart Quotes on Mac To manually insert smart quotes, type the following keys simultaneously: Type Option+] for the left (open) and Shift+Option+] for the right (closed) single quote mark or apostrophe, respectively.Type Option+[ for the left and Shift+Option+[ for the right curved double quotation marks, respectively. Add Smart Quotes to Web Pages Web typography works a little differently. Smart quotes do not always work well on the web, so straight quotes are used. However, if you want to add curly quotes to HTML code, do the following: For the curly single opening and closing quote mark (or apostrophe), use ‘ and ’ respectively.For the curly opening and closing double quotation marks, use “ and ” respectively. Oversized curly quotes add interest to pull-quotes in articles or general information pages. Quick Reference Chart of Keyboard Shortcuts Mark Description Windows Mac HTML ‘ Opening single apostrophe alt+0145 option+] ‘ ’ Closing single apostrophe alt+0146 option+shift+] ’ “ Opening double quote alt+0147 option+[ “ ” Closing double quote alt+0148 option+shift+[ ” Why Curly Quotes and Apostrophes? To present a professional appearance in print or to meet the style guidelines of a client, use true typographer quotation marks and apostrophes in your desktop publishing documents. These true quotation and apostrophe marks are curled left and right, unlike the straight single and double quote marks that show on a keyboard's apostrophe key. More About The Straight Apostrophe Key Straight quotes come from the typewriter. In printing and typesetting, all quotation marks were curly, but typewriter character sets were limited by mechanical constraints and physical space. By replacing the curly opening and closing quotes with ambidextrous straight quotes, two slots became available for other characters. The straight marks on the apostrophe key are also called primes. You can use the single straight mark for feet and minutes and the double mark for inches and seconds, as in 1'6" for 1 foot, 6 inches, or 30'15" for 30 minutes, 15 seconds. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up! Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies