Do quotation marks go inside or outside other punctuation?

It’s one of the most common punctuation questions we get—and one of the most inconsistently applied. Where do you place commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation points in relation to quotation marks? The answer depends on which version of English you're using and whether the punctuation belongs to the sentence or the quote.

Here’s what you need to know to get it right every time.

American vs. British English: The key difference

Let’s start with the big divide. In American English, commas and periods always go inside the quotation marks—whether or not they’re part of the quoted material:

She said, “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
He called it “a waste of time,” but we disagreed.

In British English, punctuation marks only go inside the quotation marks if they’re part of the original quote. Otherwise, they stay outside.

She said, ‘I’ll call you tomorrow’.
He called it ‘a waste of time’, but we disagreed.

What about question marks and exclamation points?

Here, the rule is about logic—does the punctuation belong to the quote or to your sentence?

If the quoted material includes the question or exclamation, the punctuation goes inside:

• She asked, “Are you serious?”

• He shouted, “Get out!”

If your sentence is asking the question (but the quote isn’t), the punctuation goes outside:

• Did she really say, “I’m not interested”?

• Can you believe he said, “This is fine”!

Nested quotations: quote within a quote

In American English, the outer quote uses double quotation marks; the inner quote uses single:

• She said, “I heard him yell, ‘Help me!’”

In British English, it’s the reverse—outer single, inner double:

• She said, ‘I heard him yell, “Help me!”’

This keeps things clean and readable—and yes, the punctuation still follows the regional rules.

Bottom line

In American English, commas and periods go inside quotation marks. In British English, they stay outside, unless they’re part of the quote. Question marks and exclamation points depend on meaning, not style: place them inside the quotation marks only if they belong to the quoted material. And when you're quoting inside a quote, make sure to alternate quotation marks appropriately.

Still unsure? Our editors know the rules inside and out and can help you apply them consistently across your document. Let us clean up the details so you can focus on your argument.