apostrophe

/əˈpɑːstrəfi/

nouna · pos · tro · phe

An aPOSTROPH E is like a POST (’) that marks where letters were dropped or where ownership is posted: don’t, Maria’s.

Yes, it's apostrophe. Watch the ending: it’s spelled -phe (apostroPHE), not -phy or -fee.

Definitions

  1. nounA punctuation mark (’) used to show possession (e.g., the dog’s leash) or to show that letters have been left out in a contraction (e.g., don’t).
  2. nounA figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an absent person, an abstract idea, or an inanimate object (e.g., “O Death, where is thy sting?”).

Examples

  • Use an apostrophe in "can't" to show the missing letter.
  • The teacher reminded us that "the girls' locker room" needs an apostrophe after the s.
  • In the poem, the writer uses apostrophe to speak directly to the wind.

Synonyms

contraction markpossessive markelision markpunctuation mark

Translations

ES apóstrofoPT apóstrofoFR apostrophe

Common misspellings

apostrofeeapostrofyapostrofeapostrophyapostraphyappostropheapostrophehapostrophee

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