Left Single Quotation Mark
Most keyboards skip the left single quotation mark entirely, which is why it gets copied instead of typed. This one lives at code point U+2018 and belongs to the punctuation group; click it above to copy, or use the table below for the HTML, CSS and JavaScript equivalents.
| Symbol | ‘ | |
|---|---|---|
| Unicode | U+2018 | |
| Name | Left Single Quotation Mark | |
| HTML (named) | ‘ | |
| HTML (decimal) | ‘ | |
| HTML (hex) | ‘ | |
| CSS content | \2018 | |
| JavaScript / JSON | \u2018 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | 0xE2 0x80 0x98 | |
| UTF-16 units | 0x2018 | |
| Windows alt code | Alt 0145 |
How do you type the left single quotation mark on each platform?
| Where | How to type it |
|---|---|
| Any device | Click the ‘ at the top of this page. It goes straight to your clipboard, and you paste it with Ctrl+V on Windows or Cmd+V on a Mac. This is the only method that behaves identically everywhere. |
| Windows | Hold Alt and type 0145 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. The number row above the letters does not work for this. |
| macOS | Add Unicode Hex Input under Keyboard settings, switch to it, then hold Option and type 2018. Without that input source, open the Character Viewer with Control+Command+Space and search for left single quotation mark. |
| Linux and ChromeOS | Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 2018, then press Enter or the space bar. This works in GTK applications and with IBus. |
| Microsoft Word | Type 2018 in the document, then press Alt and X together with the cursor immediately after the last digit. Word replaces the digits with ‘. |
| Google Docs | Insert, then Special characters, then paste U+2018 or type left single quotation mark in the search box. You can also draw the shape in the sketch pad on the right. |
| Excel and Google Sheets | Use the formula UNICHAR(8216) in a cell. Copy the cell and paste it as a value if you want the character rather than the formula. |
| HTML | Write ‘, or the numeric reference ‘, or ‘. On a page served as UTF-8 the character itself also works. |
| CSS | Use content: "\2018" inside a ::before or ::after rule. Terminate the escape with a space if the next character is also a hexadecimal digit. |
| JavaScript | The escape \u2018 produces this character inside a string literal, and the same escape is valid in JSON. |
More detail per platform: Windows alt codes, special characters on a Mac, special characters in Word and HTML entities.
Frequently asked questions
How do I copy the left single quotation mark symbol?
Click the ‘ above or the copy button and it is placed on your clipboard. Paste it anywhere with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V. It is a real text character, so it works in documents, chats and code.
What is the Unicode code point for left single quotation mark?
The left single quotation mark has the Unicode code point U+2018. In HTML you can write it as ‘ or ‘, or with the named entity ‘.
What is the alt code for the left single quotation mark symbol?
On Windows, hold the Alt key and type Alt 0145 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. Copying the ‘ from this page is quicker and works on any device.
Is the left single quotation mark an emoji or a text character?
It is a plain Unicode text character, not an image or an emoji sticker. That means the ‘ inherits the surrounding font, size and color wherever you paste it, and it works in places emoji often do not, such as usernames, file names and code.
Related symbols
Browse the full punctuation symbols hub, or return to the searchable symbol grid.