Quotation Mark "

The 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+0022 in the Universal Character Set.

The straight quotation mark is used to delimit HTML attribute values and must be escaped when it appears inside double-quoted attributes. It is one of the five predefined XML entities. In typography, straight quotes are often replaced with their curly counterparts for improved visual appearance in body text.

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 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 quotation mark entity inside HTML attributes that are delimited by double quotes, and when displaying literal quote characters in code examples. For typographic body text, consider using the curly quote entities “ and ” instead, which provide a more polished appearance.