What are smart quotes?

Smart (or curly) quotes are the typographically correct quotation marks used in print: \u{201C}\u{201D} for double and \u{2018}\u{2019} for single. Word processors and macOS auto-correct insert them automatically.

Why do smart quotes break code?

Programming languages expect the straight ASCII characters " (U+0022) and ' (U+0027). A curly quote is a different Unicode code point, so parsers treat it as an unknown character and raise a syntax error.

Does this handle both single and double quotes?

Yes. Both double curly quotes (\u{201C}\u{201D}) and single curly quotes (\u{2018}\u{2019}) are converted, as well as their straight ASCII counterparts.

Are apostrophes also converted?

Yes. The right single quotation mark (\u{2019}) is the standard typographic apostrophe. In Straight mode it becomes a plain apostrophe, and vice versa in Smart mode.

Is my text sent to a server?

No. All conversion runs locally in your browser with JavaScript. Nothing leaves your device.

What about guillemets or other quote styles?

This tool focuses on the most common English typographic quotes (U+2018, U+2019, U+201C, U+201D) and their straight ASCII equivalents. Guillemets and angle quotes are left unchanged.

Smart Quotes Converter

Name: Smart Quotes Converter
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Convert curly/smart quotes to straight quotes or vice versa for code, plain text, and typography cleanup.

Mode: Smart → Straight Straight → Smart Normalize all to straight

Input

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Output

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Summary

Convert curly/smart quotes to straight quotes or vice versa for code, plain text, and typography cleanup.

How it works

Paste or type your text into the input area.
Choose a conversion direction: Smart to Straight or Straight to Smart.
The output updates live as you type.
Copy the converted text with the Copy button.
Use the Swap button to reverse input and output for round-trip edits.

Use cases

Fix pasted Word or Pages content before inserting into code.
Prepare blog copy for a CMS that requires straight quotes.
Add typographic polish to plain-text articles before publishing.
Strip smart quotes from JSON, CSV, or configuration values.
Convert straight quotes to curly for professional print or PDF output.
Clean up e-book manuscripts that mixed both quote styles.
Normalize quotes in subtitles or screenplay scripts.
Sanitize user-supplied text before storing in a database.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-09 · Reviewed by Nham Vu