What is an Exclamation Point?

Exclamation points are a stronger punctuation form than a period and are meant to help the reader understand that a strong emotion is being presented.

Where Did Exclamation Points Come From?

Legend states that the exclamation point came from the Latin word “Io” which means “joy.” Over time, the capital “I” was superimposed over the lowercase “o.”

It’s often recommended to use this punctuation sparingly. Some writers believe overuse of the exclamation point cheapens writing and seems to suggest an amateur writer. F. Scott Fitzgerald is quoted as saying that using exclamation marks is “like laughing at your own jokes,” and Elmore Leonard suggests using exclamation marks “no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.”

In the age of the internet, the exclamation mark gained some notoriety, providing sincerity and friendship that may not otherwise be conveyed.

The exclamation has made its way into proper nouns including Westward Ho!, a town in England named after the Charles Kinsgley novel of the same name, and Hamilton!, Ohio.

How Do You Use an Exclamation Point?

Some Good Rules to Follow:

1. Replace the period when using an exclamation mark.

2. Do not use an exclamation mark as terminal punctuation with other punctuation such as periods, commas, colons, semicolons or question marks. If wanting to amplify an interrogative sentence, you may use the interrobang (‽) but it is usually not needed.

When to Use Exclamation Points:

As Terminal Punctuation

Exclamation points replace periods at the end of sentences to demonstrate strong emotions, commands, and interjections. They’re also an indicator of raised voice.

As Medial Punctuation

Exclamation points are used before the end of a sentence when part of dialogue or pronouns.

To ask Rhetorical Questions

Exclamation points replace the question marks at the end of a sentence when the question is to produce effect, not request information.

To Show Your Love

How else will bestie know how perfect they are if you don’t spam exclamation points? Like? Let the naysayers pry exclamation points from your cold, dead hands.

References

1. Eveleth, Rose, “The History of the Exclamation Exclamation Point”, Smithsonian Magazine, August 9, 2012. 

2. Lobo, Julius, “History of the Exclamation Mark”, Book Riot, Accessed: June 2, 2021. 

3. “Exclamation Point,” The Punctuation Guide, Accessed June 2, 2021. 

4. “Exclamation Point”, ESL Grammar, Accessed May 29, 2021.

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This page was published April 24, 2022.