open quote
C1Formal, Technical (Linguistics, Publishing, Typography)
Definition
Meaning
The punctuation mark (") or (“) used to indicate the beginning of a quotation, direct speech, or a special term.
1. The spoken or written announcement of a quotation's start. 2. In typography, the first set of marks in a pair enclosing quoted material. 3. Figuratively, a signal that one is about to cite someone else's words.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Almost exclusively a technical term related to writing, printing, and computer text processing. Rarely used in casual spoken English except when instructing someone on how to write/punctuate something.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, there is a stronger tendency to use single quotes (‘) as the primary delimiter, with double quotes (“) reserved for quotations within quotations. In American English, the primary convention is to use double quotes ("). The term 'open quote' itself refers to the opening mark of whichever style is chosen.
Connotations
Neutral technical term in both regions.
Frequency
More frequent in American English due to its more rigid typographic conventions in publishing. In British English, 'inverted commas' (open/close) is a common lay term for quotation marks.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[verb] + open quote: insert, type, forget, include, useVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms directly associated with the term 'open quote']”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in document preparation, style guides, and presentations that require precise citation formatting.
Academic
Essential in linguistics, publishing, and style manual discussions. Used when teaching academic writing and citation rules.
Everyday
Very rare. Might be used when giving writing instructions, e.g., 'Don't forget the open quote.'
Technical
Core terminology in computer programming (string delimitation), typesetting, copy-editing, and word processing software.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Remember to open-quote any direct speech.
American English
- The style guide requires you to open-quote all titles of articles.
adverb
British English
- [Rarely used as an adverb]
American English
- [Rarely used as an adverb]
adjective
British English
- Ensure you have the correct open-quote character for the font.
American English
- Check for open-quote errors in the manuscript.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Please put an open quote at the start of his sentence.
- In the dialogue, every new speaker needs an open quote.
- The programmer debugged the script by finding a missing open quote in the SQL string.
- The typographer insisted on using curly open quotes for aesthetic consistency throughout the publication.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a mouth opening to speak someone else's words. The 'open quote' is like the mouth opening at the start of speech.
Conceptual Metaphor
PUNCTUATION MARKS ARE CONTAINERS / GATES (the open quote is the gate opening to let the quoted words in).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Directly translating кавычки as 'quotes' is fine, but Russian often uses «» guillemets. The concept of explicitly distinguishing 'open' vs 'close' is less prominent in everyday Russian discourse about punctuation.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'quote' alone to mean the punctuation mark (in formal contexts, 'quotation mark' is preferred). Confusing single (‘) and double (“) open quotes. Forgetting to include the closing quote, creating an unclosed string in programming.
Practice
Quiz
In a properly punctuated American English nested quotation, what follows a single open quote?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is standardly written as two words when used as a noun phrase ('insert an open quote'). It may be hyphenated when used as a compound modifier ('open-quote character') or verb ('to open-quote').
The opposite is a 'close quote' or 'closing quotation mark,' which signals the end of the quoted material.
Yes, if you are using quotation marks to enclose speech, a quotation, or a special term, you must always use both an open quote and a close quote. Using only one is an error.
For a straight double quote ("), use the Shift key plus the apostrophe/quotation key. For 'smart' or curly quotes (“), you typically need specific keyboard shortcuts, word processor settings (like 'AutoCorrect'), or character map tools, as they are not directly on standard keyboard keys.