Smart Quotes vs. Straight Quotes
Curly typographic quote marks ('smart') versus the vertical marks of typewriters and code ('straight').
Smart quotes are the curly typographic marks designed to open and close a passage: “these”. Straight quotes — "these" — are the upright marks inherited from typewriters and now standard in code editors, where they double as string delimiters.
In running prose, smart quotes are the correct choice; they are easier to read and they make the difference between an opening and a closing mark visible. Most word processors and CMSs convert straight to smart automatically.
Where straight quotes still belong: code, URLs, technical documentation, and any context where a real ASCII quote is needed. The error to avoid is the mixed paragraph — half smart, half straight — which is the typographic equivalent of a misspelled name.
““Curly” vs "straight"”
Keep reading the glossary
The punctuation that signals direct speech or a quoted phrase — single or double, depending on locale.
A national style difference — double in American English, single in much of British English.
Square brackets mark editorial changes inside a quotation — clarifications, edits, or [sic].
Three dots that mark words omitted from a quotation.