Exclamation mark facts for kids

An exclamation mark (!) is a special sign used in writing. It helps us show strong feelings or excitement at the end of a sentence. You might also see it after a word that shows sudden emotion, like "Wow!" or "Ouch!"

It's important to remember that there should never be a space right before an exclamation mark. For example, you write "Hello!" not "Hello !".

What is an Exclamation Mark?

The exclamation mark, also called an exclamation point, is a punctuation mark that looks like a tall line with a dot below it (!). Its main job is to tell the reader that something important, surprising, or emotional is being said.

How We Use It

We use exclamation marks to show:

• Strong feelings: Like joy, anger, surprise, or fear. For example, "What a beautiful day!" or "That's amazing!"
• Commands: When you are giving a strong order. For example, "Stop!" or "Look out!"
• Interjections: These are short words or sounds that show sudden emotion. For example, "Ouch!" "Yay!" or "Wow!"

Exclamation Marks in Other Areas

The exclamation mark isn't just for sentences! It has special meanings in other fields too.

In Computer Coding

In computer programming, the exclamation mark (!) often means "not." For example, if a computer sees "not equal to," it might be written as "!=." This tells the computer to check if two things are different.

In Mathematics

In Mathematics, the exclamation mark has a special job called "factorial". When you see a number with an exclamation mark after it, like "5!", it means you need to multiply that number by all the whole numbers smaller than it, down to 1.

• For example, 5! means 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1, which equals 120.

Images for kids

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  Trilingual billboard in Barcelona (detail), showing the initial exclamation mark for Spanish, but not for Catalan (top line) and English

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  Road sign marking the entrance to Westward Ho!

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  New Zealand road sign warning of a "cattle stop" (cattle grid/cattle guard)

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  Custom cut tri-color PVC stands representing different styles of an exclamation mark

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  Aalto University School of Business Logo 2020 (exclamation mark)

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  This Action Comics cover from 1959 ends every sentence with an exclamation point or question mark. Often, few or no periods would be used in the entire book.

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