Left Single Quotation Mark (‘)
HTML entity for the left single quotation mark (‘). Learn how to use ‘ or ‘ in HTML for proper typographic quotation marks.
Punctuation
‘
Left Single Quotation Mark
All Formats
| Format | Value |
|---|---|
| Character | ‘ |
| HTML Entity | ‘ |
| HTML Code (Decimal) | ‘ |
| Unicode | U+2018 |
| CSS Content | \2018 |
| Category | Punctuation |
About Left Single Quotation Mark
The left single quotation mark (‘), also called the opening single quote or left curly quote, is the typographically correct opening quotation mark for single-quoted text. It curves in toward the quoted text and is distinct from the straight apostrophe (').
In HTML, insert this character using ‘, ‘, or ‘. The named entity ‘ is clear and well-supported. Using curly quotes instead of straight quotes significantly improves the typographical quality of web content and is expected in professional publishing.
The left single quotation mark is part of the General Punctuation Unicode block. In British English, single quotation marks are the primary quotation marks, while in American English, they are used for quotes within quotes. The matching closing mark is the right single quotation mark (’).
In CSS, use "\2018" with the content property for pseudo-element insertion. Many typography-focused CSS frameworks and CMS platforms automatically convert straight quotes to curly quotes (a process called "smart quotes"). Using the correct quotation marks improves readability and demonstrates attention to typographical detail.
Usage Examples
<!-- Using named entity -->
<p>This is the Left Single Quotation Mark: ‘</p>
<!-- Using numeric code -->
<p>This is the Left Single Quotation Mark: ‘</p>
<!-- Using the character directly (UTF-8) -->
<p>This is the Left Single Quotation Mark: ‘</p>
<!-- In CSS -->
.icon::before {
content: "\2018";
}FAQ
What is the HTML entity for Left Single Quotation Mark?
The Left Single Quotation Mark (‘) can be inserted using the named entity ‘, the numeric code ‘, or by pasting the character directly in a UTF-8 document.
How do I use ‘ in CSS?
In CSS, use the content property with the value "\2018". For example: content: "\2018";
What is the Unicode code point for Left Single Quotation Mark?
The Unicode code point for Left Single Quotation Mark is U+2018. This is the universal identifier for this character across all platforms and programming languages.
Try It in the HTML Entity Tool
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