Create Smart Quotes in Microsoft Word
To manually insert smart quotes, the keyboard must have a numeric keypad, and you must activate the Num Lock key. To use the numeric codes, press and hold the Alt key, then type the four-digit character code on the numeric keypad.
Use ALT+0145 and ALT+0146 for the left and right single quotation marks or apostrophes, respectively. Use ALT+0147 and ALT+0148 for the left and right double quotation marks, respectively.
If your keyboard lacks a numeric keypad, use the Character Map. To launch it, press Win+R and type charmap in the Run box. When it opens, find the character you want to insert, and click Select. Select Copy when you’ve selected all the characters you want to add, then paste them into the document. The great thing about Character Map is that it supports all possible glyphs within a typeface, not only the ones accessible from the keyboard.
Create Smart Quotes on Mac
To manually insert smart quotes, type the following keys simultaneously:
Type Option+] for the left (open) and Shift+Option+] for the right (closed) single quote mark or apostrophe, respectively.Type Option+[ for the left and Shift+Option+[ for the right curved double quotation marks, respectively.
Add Smart Quotes to Web Pages
Web typography works a little differently. Smart quotes do not always work well on the web, so most sites use straight quotes. However, if you want to add curly quotes to HTML code, do the following:
For the curly single opening and closing quote mark (or apostrophe), use ‘ and ’ respectively.For the curly opening and closing double quotation marks, use “ and ” respectively.
Quick Reference Chart of Keyboard Shortcuts
More About the Straight Apostrophe
Straight quotes come from the typewriter. In printing and typesetting, all quotation marks were curly, but typewriter character sets were limited by mechanical constraints and physical space. By replacing the curly opening and closing quotes with ambidextrous straight quotes, two slots became available for other characters. The straight marks on the apostrophe key are also called primes. You can use the single straight mark for feet and minutes and the double mark for inches and seconds, as in 1'6" for 1 foot, 6 inches, or 30'15" for 30 minutes, 15 seconds.
