Colon (punctuation) facts for kids

The colon (:) is a special punctuation mark. It looks like two dots stacked one above the other. Colons help us organize sentences and show connections between ideas. They tell you to pause and pay attention to what comes next!

How We Use Colons

Colons in Sentences

A colon creates a stronger pause than a semicolon. It often connects two parts of a sentence, where the second part explains or lists something from the first.

Here are some ways we use colons:

• To introduce a list of items:

* If you go, take these things: climbing rope, a compass, water, food, and good boots.

• To explain or give more detail about something just mentioned:

* It's official: McClaren made a very difficult start as England manager. * When the door opened, a messy scene appeared: chairs were overturned, drawers were pulled out, and broken dishes were on the floor.

• To show a contrast between two ideas:

* Man plans: God decides.

Colons in Other Texts

Colons are useful in many other places too:

• For definitions: They introduce what a word means.

* A: the first letter in the Latin alphabet. * Hypernym of a word: a word with a wider meaning, like vehicle is a hypernym of car.

• In religious texts: They separate chapter and verse numbers.

* John 3:14–16 * The Qur'an, Sura 5:18

• For time: They separate hours, minutes, and seconds.

* The concert ended at 23:45. * This file was changed today at 11:15:05.

• In titles: They separate a main title from its subtitle.

* Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

History of the Colon

The colon first appeared in English writing a long time ago, around the year 1589.

Colons in Sounds

The IPA length mark

In the IPA, which helps us write down sounds, a special double-triangle colon (ː) shows that a sound is long. It's like stretching out the sound when you say it. Sometimes, a regular colon is used instead if the special symbol isn't available.

Colons in Math

In mathematics, the colon is used to show a ratio or a scale. For example, 3:1 means "three to one."

In many countries, the colon is also used as a division sign. So, "a divided by b" can be written as a : b.

You might also see a colon with an equal sign (:=) to show that something is being defined.

Colons in Computers

In computing, the colon character is a special symbol. It's used in many places like:

• URLs (website addresses)
• computer programming languages
• paths to files on a computer

It often acts as a separator, telling the computer that a specific word or command is coming next. For example, in MediaWiki (the software this page uses), colons help organize information.

Sometimes, a double-colon (::) is used to show that some text has been left out, like an ellipsis.

Colons Online

When you're chatting online, sending emails, or posting on message boards, a colon or several colons can show an action or a feeling. It's like acting out what you're saying.

For example:

• Kim: Pluto is so small, it should not be considered a planet. It is tiny!
• Mel: Oh really? ::Drops Pluto on Kim’s head:: Still think it's small now?

Colons can also show sounds, like ":Click:". You can compare this to using asterisks for actions, like *cough* to show someone is coughing.

Also, colons are super common in emoticons! They often represent the eyes, like in :-) (a happy face) or :( (a sad face).

Related pages

• Semicolon, the ";" punctuation mark

Images for kids

• 

  This 15th-century Bible text shows colons between words.

See also

In Spanish: Dos puntos para niños