quotation mark

/kwoʊˈteɪʃn̩ mɑɹk/

//kwoʊˈteɪʃn̩ mɑɹk// noun

"quotation-mark" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“quotation mark” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Either of a pair of quotation marks used to denote a quotation in writing.

Corpus desk

Index EN-quotation-mark · quotation mark · English

quotation mark · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "Q" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for quotation mark
PropertyValue
Headwordquotation mark
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kwoʊˈteɪʃn̩ mɑɹk/
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “quotation mark” in English

quotation markranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

quotation mark is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /kwoʊˈteɪʃn̩ mɑɹk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Either of a pair of quotation marks used to denote a quotation in writing.".

quotation mark doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is quotation mark, spelled Q-U-O-T-A-T-I-O-N- -M-A-R-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    Either of a pair of quotation marks used to denote a quotation in writing.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "quotation mark"?
"quotation mark" is spelled Q-U-O-T-A-T-I-O-N- -M-A-R-K. The IPA pronunciation is /kwoʊˈteɪʃn̩ mɑɹk/.
What does "quotation mark" mean?
As a noun, "quotation mark" means: Either of a pair of quotation marks used to denote a quotation in writing.
How do you pronounce "quotation mark"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "quotation mark" is /kwoʊˈteɪʃn̩ mɑɹk/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "quotation mark" come from?
"quotation mark" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list