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You’re Probably Not Using These 9 Punctuation Marks – But You Should Be

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Sure, you’ve got all the regular punctuation down pat – maybe you even consider yourself a bit of a punctuation nerd – but you’re definitely not incorporating these 9 marks into your daily usage arsenal.

And they all deserve a spot.

#9. Doubt Point

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Went for a quickie, turned into something else entirely, thanks to a design I found while researching the doubt point, by @bwanoface ! <3 Aptly named, 'Skepticism'. Question everything. m/ Tattoo by Raja Pyne. Bit more painful than I anticipated, but well worth it. #doubtpoint #tattoo #tattoodesign #tattoolove #ink #inked #geometry #geometrictattoo Coming up next: the Irony mark. ^_^

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If you need to end a sentence with a note of skepticism, then this is the mark for you.

#8. Interrobang

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stencil only first…. #interrobang #tattoo

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This piece of punctuation, which is actually increasing in popularity, combines an exclamation point and a question mark into one single mark.

#7. SarcMark

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Yeah right. #sarcmark #sarcasm #punctuation

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It’s short for “sarcasm mark,” and was invented, copyrighted, and trademarked by Paul Sak. He calls it “the official, easy-to-use punctuation mark to emphasize a sarcastic phrase, sentence, or message.”

#6. Percontation Point

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#henrydenham #percontationpoint

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Henry Denham proposed the backward question mark in 1580 as a way to punctuate a rhetorical question, but it fell out of popularity in the early 17th century.

#5. Snark Mark

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Ummm why am I just finding out now that such a thing exists? @chrissybug16 and @kjwrit I expect to see copious uses of this thing of beauty. #hellolover #wherehaveyoubeenallmylife #snarkmark #grammar #punctuation #nerd #sassy #sarcasm #ineedthis

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The SarcMark is also copyrighted, and is used to indicate that a sentence has meaning beyond the literal.

#4. Irony Mark

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It has come to my attention that people don’t know that there is a punctuation for nearly everything… this is called an irony mark and it’s used for irony and sarcasm. You can also use it for rhetorical questions. #learnyourpunctuations #ironymark #sarcasmislife follow @punctuationqueen

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This mark precedes a statement instead of following it, an idea that was introduced in the 19th century by author Herve Bazin.

#3. Asterism

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This used to be the standard divider to separate chapters or section breaks in long texts – JK Rowling used them in Harry Potter. Most authors nowadays choose to use their own sort of dividing marks, though.

#2. Acclamation Point

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The mark’s creator described it as “the stylistic representation of those two little flags that float above the tour bus when a president comes to town,” and is a “demonstration of goodwill or welcome.”

#1. Certitude Point

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Day 58/100: The Certitude Point. Resembling an exclamation point with a line through it, this symbol represents 'certainty and conviction'. Another Herve Bazin creation, I think nothing is more certain than when it's spelled out in rose petals ⚘⚘⚘(I also love striving with purpose & conviction – bring it on!) [Rose petals on wood] #100daysofthepunctuationproject #100days #the100dayproject #gm100dayproject #punctuation #punctuationdesign #punctuationproject #punctuationmarks #punctuationlibrary #punctuationpoints #exclamationmarks #exclamationpoints #certitude #certitudepoint #hervébazin #hervebazin #rosepetals #sayitwithroses #conviction #courageofconviction

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If you’ve got unwavering conviction and want it to come across in your written statement, then you need a certitude point.

Go and have fun, my friends!