Question mark

A hooked stroke above a dot, marking a question.

Also known as: Interrogation point, Query symbol

Keyboard & punctuationEveryday & digitalStandard profile

Meanings

The question mark ends an interrogative sentence. Its shape is usually explained as a contraction of the Latin quaestio, though that derivation is contested.

Common modern usageVerified fact
Marks a sentence as a question in most languages using the Latin alphabet.
Contexts: Software
Common modern usageCommon usage
Is used alone to indicate confusion or a request for clarification in informal writing.
Contexts: Software
Common modern usageVerified fact
Is inverted and placed at the start of a question in Spanish, in addition to the closing mark.
Contexts: Software

Visual description

A curved hook opening to the left, descending to a short vertical stem, with a separate dot beneath it.

Symmetry: none
Orientation: upright

Commonly confused with: Ternary conditional operator
The question mark is the punctuation; the ternary operator is one of the jobs programming languages give it.

Compare: Question mark vs ternary conditional operator →

Confidence

IdentityModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the identity is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.
Visual matchModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.

Sources

Unicode Code Chart: Basic Latin (U+0000–U+007F)
The Unicode Consortium · retrieved 2026-07-30
Authoritative for the character's code point, name and block only. Unicode assigns identity; it does not define what a symbol means in use.

Last reviewed 2026-08-01

Help improve this page

Meanings

The question mark ends an interrogative sentence. Its shape is usually explained as a contraction of the Latin quaestio, though that derivation is contested.

Common modern usageVerified fact

Marks a sentence as a question in most languages using the Latin alphabet.

Contexts: Software

Common modern usageCommon usage

Is used alone to indicate confusion or a request for clarification in informal writing.

Contexts: Software

Common modern usageVerified fact

Is inverted and placed at the start of a question in Spanish, in addition to the closing mark.

Contexts: Software

Confidence

IdentityModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the identity is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.
Visual matchModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.

Meanings

Visual description

Related & commonly confused symbols

Meanings

Visual description

Related & commonly confused symbols