guillemet: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical / Formal
Quick answer
What does “guillemet” mean?
A pair of punctuation marks (« » or “ ”) used to indicate speech, a quotation, or to denote a title.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A pair of punctuation marks (« » or “ ”) used to indicate speech, a quotation, or to denote a title.
Specifically refers to the French-style angle quotation marks (« »), also known as chevrons. In broader typographic contexts, can sometimes refer to any quotation mark used in a similar enclosing fashion.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The word is identical in form and refers to the same typographical marks. Usage of the marks themselves differs: British English predominantly uses single or double curved quotation marks (' ' or “ ”). American English follows the same pattern. Angle guillemets are rarely used in standard English prose in either variety but may appear in specialised or multilingual contexts.
Connotations
Connotes typographic precision, foreign (especially French) texts, or academic publishing. No differential connotation between UK and US.
Frequency
Very low frequency in general English for both UK and US. Slightly higher frequency in academic fields like typography, comparative literature, or translation studies.
Grammar
How to Use “guillemet” in a Sentence
[Text] is enclosed in guillemets.The typographer preferred to use guillemets «like this».Guillemets are used [in French publishing].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “guillemet” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The editor chose to guillemet the cited passages for a continental feel.
- Should we guillemet this block of text?
American English
- The typesetting software can guillemet selected text automatically.
- I never guillemet dialogue in my manuscripts.
adverb
British English
- The quote was rendered guillemet-style.
- He typed it guillemet-fashion.
American English
- The text was set guillemet-wise on the page.
- Format the dialogue guillemet-style.
adjective
British English
- The guillemet style quotation is preferred in Swiss publishing.
- He made a guillemet-related error in the manuscript.
American English
- Ensure the guillemet characters are correctly encoded.
- This is a guillemet-keyboard shortcut.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used, except potentially in global branding or design guidelines discussing typography.
Academic
Used in linguistics, typography, translation studies, and literary criticism when discussing textual conventions.
Everyday
Extremely rare. An everyday speaker would say 'quotation marks' or 'speech marks'.
Technical
Core usage is in typography, desktop publishing, Unicode standards, and word processing software settings.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “guillemet”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “guillemet”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “guillemet”
- Mispronouncing it as /ˈɡɪləmɛt/ or /ɡwɪˈlɛmɪt/.
- Using it as a general term for all quotation marks in English.
- Misspelling as 'guillemot' (which is a seabird).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Guillemets are a specific type of quotation mark, the angle brackets « ». The term 'quotation marks' is broader and includes the curved “ ” and ' ' marks common in English.
They are not standard on an English keyboard layout. You typically need to use character codes (Alt+0171/0187 on Windows, Option+\/Shift+Option+\ on Mac) or insert them from a word processor's symbol menu.
Yes, it is a loanword from French, fully naturalised in English, but it remains a specialised term used primarily in typography and related fields.
In languages that use them, like French, double guillemets (« ») are used for primary quotations, and single guillemets (‹ ›) are used for quotations within quotations, similar to how single and double quotes work in English.
A pair of punctuation marks (« » or “ ”) used to indicate speech, a quotation, or to denote a title.
Guillemet is usually technical / formal in register.
Guillemet: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɡiːmeɪ/ or /ˌɡiːəˈmeɪ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɡi(j)əˌmeɪ/ or /ˌɡi(j)əˈmeɪ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'Guillaume', a French name. 'Guillemets' are the «French-style quotes», named after the French printer Guillaume (William) Le Bé.
Conceptual Metaphor
PUNCTUATION IS A CONTAINER (guillemets enclose text).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary domain where the term 'guillemet' is used?