U+2019 · General Punctuation
Right Single Quotation Mark (Apostrophe) ’
The right single quotation mark ’ does double duty: it closes single quotations and it is the typographically correct apostrophe. Contractions like don’t and possessives like Sarah’s use this curly mark in professionally set text. Its curl faces left, like a small 9, and it is what smart-quote features insert when you type an apostrophe.
Character codes
| Unicode code point | U+2019 | |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 8217 | |
| HTML named entity | ’ | |
| HTML (hex) | ’ | |
| HTML (decimal) | ’ | |
| CSS | \2019 | |
| JavaScript | \u2019 | |
| Python | \u2019 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 80 99 | |
| UTF-16 | 2019 | |
| URL-encoded | %E2%80%99 |
Character details
| Official name | RIGHT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK |
|---|---|
| Unicode block | General Punctuation |
| General category | Final Quote (Pf) |
| SymbolHero category | Punctuation |
| Emoji | No |
How to type ’
Windows
- Hold Alt and type 0146 on the numeric keypad (Num Lock on), then release Alt. Alt 0146 uses the Windows-1252 code page.
- In Microsoft Word or Outlook: type
2019then press Alt + X. - Open Character Map (search “Character Map” in Start), tick “Advanced view”, search for “right single quotation mark”, then Select and Copy.
Mac
- Press Option + Shift + ] (US English keyboard layout).
- Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search “right single quotation mark”, and double-click the result.
- With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type
2019.
iPhone & Android
- Tap Copy at the top of this page, then long-press where you want it and choose Paste.
Docs & web
- Google Docs: Insert → Special characters, then search “right single quotation mark” or enter
U+2019. - HTML:
’or’ - Excel / Google Sheets:
=UNICHAR(8217)
Examples
- Don’t forget the kids’ lunches.
- rock ’n’ roll
- the ’90s
- ‘It’s late,’ she said.
Good to know
Don’t mix it up: It is often confused with the modifier letter apostrophe ʼ (U+02BC), which is used as a letter in some languages and transliterations.
Tip: For decade abbreviations and dropped letters, such as ’90s and ’em, make sure the mark curls like a 9, not a 6.
Display: the character itself is always the same code point, but its shape comes from the font on the device showing it. If you see an empty box, the font lacks this glyph—the text is still correct.
Similar punctuation
Questions
What is the Unicode for ’?
It is U+2019 (RIGHT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK), decimal 8217.
Is there a Windows Alt code for it?
Yes: Alt 0146 on the numeric keypad.
How do I type it on a Mac?
Option + Shift + ] on a US English keyboard, or use the Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space).
What is the HTML code?
Use the named entity ’ or the numeric reference ’.