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Five weird typographical symbols – Quick Quiz

There are all sorts of quirky typographical terms that used to be popular but don’t get much use these days – even if the mark itself does! Have a go at our quiz below and see how much you know about some of the rarer printer’s characters and their names.

  1. We’ll start with an easy one. What’s this called?
  2. Here are two punctuation marks: / and  ⁄  One of these marks is a slash; the other is a solidus. Which is which, and what’s the difference?
  3. This mark and others like it are called fleurons. Why should you be very cautious about how you use this particular one?
  4. What does the symbol stand for on the sign below? (Clue: it’s not the number 7.)
    Tironian note on an Irish road sign
  5. Where would you be most likely to see an obelus?

Check your answers here!

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