Guide to Spanish punctuation
Punctuation in Spanish
Punctuation (los signos de puntuación) such as commas, speech marks and question marks are essential for writing eloquent texts in Spanish.
Spanish punctuation has many of the same marks as English, however their use is often different, with many of the Spanish punctuation marks being obligatory as opposed to optional.
Check out the pages below to learn about the differences between Spanish and English punctuation.
Contents
Comma (,)
A comma (coma) is used to separate elements of a sentence from one another. While Spanish and English comma placement is often similar, there are certain differences we need to be mindful of.
Full Stop (.)
A full stop (punto) is used at the end of a sentence, paragraph or text. After a full stop, always capitalise.
Colons (:)
Colons (dos puntos) introduce an example, a list, an explanation, or a conclusion. They are also used to express the time in the digital clock.
Semicolon (;)
The semicolon (punto y coma) is used to mark a pause that is stronger than that of a comma and weaker than that of a full stop. It is used in enumerations, lists, with conjunctions, and between two independent clauses that are semantically related.
Ellipsis (…)
The ellipsis (puntos suspensivos) is used to show that a sentence trails off or to indicate the omission of words.
Exclamation & question marks (¡!) (¿?)
Exclamation and question marks (signos de exclamación (¡ !) y de interrogación (¿ ?)), always appear in pairs in Spanish. They are used both at the beginning and at the end of exclamatory sentences and questions.
Apostrophe (')
An apostrophe (apóstrofo) is used in writing to show that letters are missing from a word.
Brackets ( )
Brackets (paréntesis) are used to enclose additional or explanatory information within a sentence.
Em dash (—)
The em dash (la raya larga) is used to frame additional information in a sentence or to introduce lines of dialogue.
Hyphen (-)
The hyphen (guion) is used to divide words at the end of a line or to join words in compounds.
Quotation marks (« »)
Quotation marks (comillas) are used to indicate direct speech, titles or quotes. Spanish has three types of quotation marks, angular (« »), single (‘ ’) and double (“ ”).
Slash (/)
The slash (barra inclinada or simply barra) is an auxiliary sign used to separate two alternatives or two terms that share some kind of relationship.
