Left Double Quotation Mark “

The Left Double Quotation Mark character (“) is a standard HTML entity defined in the HTML specification. In HTML source code, it can be written using the named entity reference “, the decimal numeric character reference “, or the hexadecimal numeric reference “. The character is assigned Unicode code point U+201C in the Universal Character Set.

The left double quotation mark opens double-quoted text with a typographically correct curly character. In American English, double quotes are the primary quotation marks for direct speech and quoted material. Using curly double quotes instead of straight quotes is a key indicator of professional typesetting.

Punctuation and whitespace entities are among the most frequently used HTML entities in web development. They handle characters that either have special meaning in HTML syntax — such as angle brackets and ampersands — or represent typographic characters that improve the visual quality of text, like em dashes and curly quotes. Proper use of punctuation entities is essential for producing valid, well-formed HTML documents and achieving professional-looking typography on the web.

When deciding how to encode the Left Double Quotation Mark character in your HTML documents, the named entity “ is generally the most readable choice for developers reviewing or maintaining source code. The decimal form “ and hexadecimal form “ are equally valid alternatives that work in contexts where named entities may not be supported, or when generating HTML output programmatically from server-side code. All three representations produce identical visual output in every modern web browser.

Use the left double quotation mark to open quoted passages in American English, for titles of short works (articles, poems, songs), and for scare quotes or ironic usage. Pair it with ” to close the quotation. Switch to single quotes for nested quotations.