This isn't a definitive answer, but this is what I'd call them: ~ Tilde (but you'd only know this if you could read Spanish) - Hyphen _ Dash (or minus sign in maths) ( or is it an underscore? hard to tell) + Plus sign = Equals sign ( and ) Brackets ( or 'round brackets' to distinguish them from the less common types below) { and } Curly brackets [ and ] Square brackets < and > Not sure - 'greater than and less than signs', perhaps? / Slash ( or 'forward slash' to distinguish from the one below) \ Backslash | Vertical line ( or 'pipe') : Colon ; Semi colon " Speech mark (usually hang around in pairs) (Could also be an inch sign in imperial measurements) ' ' Inverted comma' if there's one on either side of a word (Could also be a foot sign in imperial measurements) @ At (or 'at sign') # Hash > Greater than sign? * Asterisk

Anyone calling this: @ symbol 'the monkey tail' by the way?

Su.Ki, please pick on my English as much as possible. I am trying to improve it, and since I am trying to reach C2 level, I should be very critical towards myself. You are right...'should that be an error', sounds a but like: it is a requirement that it'd be an error. But I can imagine to use it though. For example, if I am writing a computer program, and a certain condition is not correct, I can say: Should that be an error? In that sense I would be asking, whether or not I should return an error code if the program is in that state. Here however, might is indeed much better.

That's interesting. It would be confusing in the UK to call the hash a 'pound sign'. For us, the pound sign is for currency : £.

FYI, the # sign is also called a "pound" sign. You'll sometimes hear this on automated telephone menus (i.e. "Press pound to return to the previous menu"). Ten pounds=10 lbs = 10# (weight)