What's Up With the Upside-Down Exclamation Mark?

As you might have guessed, the inverted exclamation mark shares some striking similarities with its sibling, the inverted question mark.

The Rundown on the Upside Down Question Mark

You might have spotted a peculiar character in Spanish writing: a question mark curiously flipped upside down. In this article we’ll discuss what this symbol means and how to use it in your writing like a pro.

AddSpanishAddSpanish Team

The inverted exclamation mark (also known informally as the upside-down exclamation mark) first appeared in the 16th century in Spain. Printers introduced the symbol to indicate to the reader that a sentence should be read with a particular tone or emphasis, usually denoting a strong emotion or exclamatory statement. The regular, right-side-up exclamation mark joins the inverted exclamation mark for a ride in these statements.

How to use the inverted exclamation mark

The inverted exclamation mark is placed at the beginning of a sentence or expression that expresses strong emotion, such as excitement, surprise, or anger. The sentence then ends with a (right side-up) exclamation mark.

Here is an example of the pair in action:

It's important to note that, like its sibling, the inverted exclamation mark should always have a matching exclamation mark (i.e., must appear in pairs).

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Next steps

If you're learning Spanish, using the inverted exclamation mark properly in your writing is a good habit for more impactful writing!