Apostrophe

Also called single quote or straight quote.

How to type it

Right pinky. Introduced in Lesson 23: Punctuation: ' " -.

Common uses

• An apostrophe replaces missing letters in contractions, as in don't and it's.
• It also marks possession, as in Erik's keyboard or the dogs' leashes.

Less common uses

• Many programming languages use ' to wrap strings of text, and C uses it for single characters.
• In some contexts, ' stands for feet or minutes, as in 5'10" or 12'.
• Printed text usually uses a curly apostrophe; the straight one on the keyboard is a typewriter holdover.