exclamation question mark
Unicode: 2049 FE0F
Description
An exclamation mark emoji that is also a question mark, combining both punctuation marks into a single glyph. It typically appears as a stylized '!' with a '?' superimposed or combined.
Group:
Symbols > punctuation
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Conveys a mix of surprise, confusion, skepticism, and inquiry. It indicates that the speaker is both astonished by something and questioning it, or is very emphatically asking a question.
Backstory
The interrobang (‽) is a nonstandard punctuation mark conceived in 1962 by Martin K. Speckter. While it never gained widespread adoption in print, its digital representation (combining '?' and '!') gained popularity through emoji sets. It was introduced as an emoji in Unicode 6.0 (2010).
Usage Examples
- Expressing disbelief and asking for clarification: 'They raised the price again?!'
- Reacting to an unexpected statement: 'You did what?!'
- Conveying humorous surprise: 'You actually ate all of it?!'
- Emphasizing a rhetorical question: 'And you expect me to believe that?!'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Commonly used to express strong disbelief or a combination of surprise and a direct question. 'What?!' or 'Seriously?!'
East Asian culture:
Used similarly, often for expressing strong astonishment or a rhetorical question, sometimes with a humorous or ironic tone.