Spanish punctuation is very similar to English punctuation. But there are a few differences.

The chart on the right shows the Spanish punctuation marks and their names. Ones whose use is significantly different than in English are explained below.

Period

In regular text, the period is used essentially the same as in English. However, in numerals a comma is often used instead of a period and vice versa. In U.S. and Mexican Spanish, however, the same pattern as English is often followed.

Gana $30.000 por año. He earns $30,000 per year.

Comma

The comma usually is used the same as in English, being used to indicate a break in thought or to set off clauses or words. One difference is that in lists, there is no comma between the last item and the y, whereas in English some writers use a comma before the "and."

Compré una camisa, dos zapatos y tres libros. I bought a shirt, two shoes, and three books.

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