Colon vs. Semicolon
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Colon vs. Semicolon
English provides us with punctuation as a system of symbols and signs that allow us to structure, pace, and clarify communication.
When used correctly, punctuation contributes to succinct and persuasive writing (the word punctuation originates from the Latin punctuare, which means “making a point”). When used incorrectly, it can confuse and even repel our readers.
The colon and semicolon are two marks whose functions can sometimes be misapplied. We’ll review primary uses of each one to reinforce accuracy with them in your writing.
Colons
One way to distinguish the colon (:) is to think of it as the mark that introduces something or sets up the idea of “as follows.” In this way, it serves as a type of “equal” sign (what we’re saying is leading up to and equaling this: the point we’re making right here).
A colon creates a more-emphatic stop or pause than a semicolon does.
Examples
Samesh knew that only one thing could win back Nina’s heart: the truth. (The colon introduces what the opening complete sentence will emphasize.)
Walter has visited every major U.S. city but three: Denver, Dallas, and Seattle. (The colon introduces a list.)
Ju-long spoke: “I listened to the voice of the day as it whispered to me at dawn, and it told me my quest must be taken alone.” (The colon introduces and amplifies dialogue.)
If an independent clause uses a colon to introduce another independent clause, the first word of the second independent clause is capitalized:
The board of directors understood one thing: The next company CEO would need to be just as friendly and likable as visionary and driven.
Beyond their function within composition, colons also have nongrammatical uses, such as in time elapsed, time of day, biblical verses, and mathematical equations.
Examples
She finished the marathon in 4:57:23.
It’s currently 7:14 p.m.
John 16:33
x:y = 18:6
We would not use a colon after an introduction that is not a complete statement.
Incorrect: I like: cars, bikes, trains, and motorcycles.
Incorrect: I have visited: Denver, Dallas, and Seattle.
Semicolons
The semicolon (;) is used mainly to join separate but related independent sentences that are not linked by a conjunction. In some cases, the second independent sentence may begin with a conjunctive adverb.
A semicolon creates a less-emphatic stop or pause than a colon does.
Examples
Your efforts can reap great rewards; your taxes will be thankful. (The semicolon joins two related independent clauses with a softer separation than a period would provide.)
Joelle wants to be wealthy someday; however, she first must learn to maintain her checking account. (The semicolon joins an independent clause to a related independent clause that begins with a conjunctive adverb to indicate contrast.)
Another main function of the semicolon is to further separate and organize items in a list with multiple internal commas. Consider the following text:
The weekend’s amateur golf tournament will include rising contenders such as Roger Bird of Provo, Utah, Andres Gomez of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Hideki Ishikawa of San Luis Obispo, California, and Paddy O’Malley of Boston, Massachusetts.
Samuel Hatfield, chief security officer, Vijay Kapoor, concessions manager, Sang-Moon Park, director of guest services, and Fredrick Stenson, ticket scanner supervisor, all attended the pre-game meeting.
Now consider the same content with semicolons included:
The weekend’s amateur golf tournament will include rising contenders such as Roger Bird of Provo, Utah; Andres Gomez of Grosse Pointe, Michigan; Hideki Ishikawa of San Luis Obispo, California; and Paddy O’Malley of Boston, Massachusetts.
Samuel Hatfield, chief security officer; Vijay Kapoor, concessions manager; Sang-Moon Park, director of guest services; and Fredrick Stenson, ticket scanner supervisor, all attended the pre-game meeting.
The semicolons aid clarity in the lists, which otherwise make us focus more on the internal commas to understand what’s written.
Colon vs. Semicolon: Closing Thoughts
With a greater awareness of the distinctions between the colon and semicolon, you can also use them both in a passage:
The following personnel all attended the pre-game meeting: Samuel Hatfield, chief security officer; Vijay Kapoor, concessions manager; Sang-Moon Park, director of guest services; and Fredrick Stenson, ticket scanner supervisor.
When adding colons and semicolons, be sparing and mindful; less is truly more with these marks. They should serve to guide, clarify, and emphasize only where needed in keeping readers moving through your precise and eloquent writing.
Related Topics
Using Commas, Semicolons, and Colons Within Sentences
Colons
Semicolons
Pop Quiz
Punctuate each sentence properly according to what you understand about colons and semicolons.
1. We haven’t yet decided if the team flag should be red, white, and blue, black, white, and yellow, or blue, white, and orange.
2. I’ll say this much You sure know how to plant a rose garden.
3. It’s great that they sold out the show however, they sold more tickets than available seats.
4. There are only three Chevy Chase movies that Jackson hasn’t seen Foul Play, Modern Problems, and Oh! Heavenly Dog.
5. Pietro wants to marry Gianna wants to date.
Pop Quiz Answers
1. We haven’t yet decided if the team flag should be red, white, and blue; black, white, and yellow; or blue, white, and orange.
2. I’ll say this much: You sure know how to plant a rose garden.
3. It’s great that they sold out the show; however, they sold more tickets than available seats.
4. There are only three Chevy Chase movies that Jackson hasn’t seen: Foul Play, Modern Problems, and Oh! Heavenly Dog.
5. Pietro wants to marry; Gianna wants to date.
If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
Why is it preferable to use the colon or semi rather than the comma or period? I find that I have lived these many years without using the semicolon. I certainly see the value in the lists that contain commas!
Commas, periods, colons, and semicolons all provide means for structure and pacing in writing. A period is a full stop (longest pause). A colon is a shorter stop than a period but longer than a semicolon. A semicolon is a longer pause than a comma. Without the subtleties of the different marks, our writing might have much less nuance and style. You can learn more about the uses of colons and semicolons in the following posts:
Using Commas, Semicolons, and Colons Within Sentences
Connecting Sentences with Commas and Semicolons
Using Semicolons
Thank you for the helpful and insightful messages. On my screen, the two punctuation marks ( : and ; ) are so light and so close to the respective preceding character that they are hardly noticeable (or clearly distinguishable). The punctuation marks are obscured by the type-face, type-weight, and character spacing.
If you use Microsoft Edge or a similar browser, you can go to “Settings” in the browser menu (top right corner in Edge). You should find a section called “Appearance.” In that section at the bottom, you can select the size of the font appearance. If you have it set on medium currently, you can change it to large or very large. That might help you see the punctuation more clearly.
The tip of distinguishing colons by thinking of them “as the mark that introduces something or sets up the idea of ‘as follows’ and thinking of them as an equal sign” for introductions is very useful. Before this unit, I often struggled to decide between using a colon or a semicolon correctly. Another helpful tip was putting them in the same category with periods, which I had never thought of before reading this article. It helps bring a lot of clarity to the structure they can provide, and knowing these tips will certainly elevate my writing. Before I start going colon crazy though, it is important to note that less is more if your goal is to make your writing more precise and clear.
What’s the difference between using a colon to introduce and amplify dialogue as opposed to using a comma? So for example, what’s the difference between “Ju-long spoke:” and “Ju-long spoke,”?
The difference is a style preference. A useful guideline is to use a comma before short quotations (one sentence) and a colon for long quotations or quotations of two or more sentences. The Associated Press Stylebook recommends using a colon rather than a comma to introduce a quote of two sentences or more. The Chicago Manual of Style says, “For quotations or questions introduced with said, replied, asked, wrote, and the like, where a comma is normally used, a colon may be used occasionally for emphasis or to set up a block quotation.”