Ditto Marks
The ″ symbol used in lists to mean 'the same as the line above' — not a quotation mark.
Ditto marks indicate repetition in tabular or list material: a line entry repeats the value directly above it. The mark is written centred under the repeated text, traditionally as a double prime (″) or a pair of straight apostrophes in typewriter practice.
They are frequently confused with quotation marks and with inch marks, because all three have been typed with the same key. In careful typography they are distinct characters with distinct purposes, and only quotation marks should be curly.
Modern style guides discourage ditto marks in running prose and in published tables, on the grounds that repeated values are clearer than a symbol whose meaning depends on vertical alignment — an alignment that breaks in responsive layouts and screen readers.
Common mistake: using ditto marks in a data table that will be exported or read aloud. Repeat the value; accessibility tools cannot infer what the mark points to.
“Oats, 2 kg Barley, ″”
Keep reading the glossary
The straight vertical marks (′ and ″) that denote feet, inches, minutes, and seconds — often confused with quotation marks.
The curled apostrophe (’) used in typeset text, as opposed to the straight foot-mark (').
The punctuation that signals direct speech or a quoted phrase — single or double, depending on locale.
The British name for quotation marks — the paired punctuation used to enclose direct speech and quoted material.