Right Single Quotation Mark ’

The Right Single 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+2019 in the Universal Character Set.

The right single quotation mark serves double duty as both the closing single curly quote and the typographically correct apostrophe. It is the most frequently needed curly quote character in English because every contraction and possessive uses it. Using ’ instead of the straight apostrophe significantly improves typographic quality.

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 Right Single 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 right single quotation mark for apostrophes in contractions (don’t, it’s), possessives (John’s), and to close single-quoted passages. It is the single most impactful typographic improvement you can make when upgrading from straight quotes to curly quotes in web content.