Forum: english.stackexchange.com
Tags: <grammar><punctuation><writing><exclamation-mark>
Title: When and how should I use multiple exclamation marks?
Question: Now, I never do this, but in some few cases I have seen people use multiple exclamation (or question) marks like this:   Hey!!!   Is that grammatically correct? (Or just okay). In case it is,  how many  marks are grammatically allowed/accepted?

Answers:
sents: text: 'Multiple exclamation marks,' he went on, shaking his head, 'are a sure sign of a diseased mind.'
text: -- Eric, Terry Pratchett More on this subject on the Discworld and Pratchett Wiki .
text: It's just for added emphasis.
text: I do not believe it is strictly grammatically correct, but then using ALLCAPS is not, but people do that too, emphasis once again.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/2253/Orbling
score: 29
sents: text: It's fine in informal communication, email, poetry, and advertising headlines.
text: Three would be most common.
text: Two, four, or more is rarer.
text: It's never "officially" correct.
text: The people who write books about how punctuation should be used in English tolerate only two levels of enthusiasm: not enthusiastic and enthusiastic.
text: The idea that somebody might be very enthusiastic is too alarming to contemplate.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/133/Joel Spolsky
score: 23
sents: text: Never.
text: At least not for grammatical purposes.
text: More than one exclamation mark doesn't have any meaning.
text: An exclamation doesn't get more "exclamationy" by more marks.
text: Of course, you could still use them, but the interpretation would be entirely up to the reader.
text: Use of punctuation that doesn't have any grounds in grammar would be more like decoration.
text: I've seen people invent their own style of punctuation,,,like tripple
text: commas,,,but
text: that of course doesn't have any meaning either,,,it
text: mostly makes the person look unstable... Multiple exclamation marks are sometimes seen in leetspeek, often intermixed with intentional mistakes in the form of 1 , one or eleven : pwnd!!!!11!!111!one!!eleven!!!!
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/3365/Guffa
score: 18
sents: text: "Keep your exclamation points under control.
text: You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.
text: If you have a knack of playing with exclaimers the way Tom Wolfe does, you can throw them in by the handful.
text: "(Elmore Leonard)
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/5262/The Raven
score: 3
sents: text: One is enough to convey your feelings in conventional English but people seem to be taking it symbolically to mark the full intensity of their emotion and playing with it sometimes putting more than three exclamatory marks for a simple wish; However, we do not take care of it when it comes to conversation.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/14574/Jumana
score: 3
sents: text: Punctuation isn’t grammar.
text: Where and how often you use exclamation marks and how many you use at any one time is a matter of stylistic judgement.
text: There will rarely be a need for any at all in an academic paper.
text: If, on the other hand, you’re writing the captions and speech bubbles for a comic strip, let your maxim be, the more the better.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/12952/Barrie England
score: 1
sents: text: No. Stop.
text: Period.
text: End.
text: That's it.
text: Do all those extras add to the meaning that I say No and no more than that, grammatically?
text: Same with exclamation marks, I guess.
text: Or else it would undermine the power of the Wonder mark.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/14666/Kris
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
Multiple exclamation marks are generally added for emphasis, although this is not strictly grammatically correct. In informal communication, this would be fine and three is the most common number. However, in terms of what is grammatically allowed, more than one does not have any meaning, and some would argue that you should have no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose. Ultimately, how and when you use exclamatikon marks is a matter of stylistic judgement.
Exclamation marks are not grammatically correct, according to some people, and only serve for extra emphasis. In any case, the consensus is that they need to be used informally and limited in numbers. Some go as far as suggesting never use them at all, whilst other suggest that more than one does not add any additonal meaning. Some suggest exclamation marks are a part of grammar but are limited to two-three per 100,000 words. However, some authors like Tom Wolfe seem to use them freely, and equally people writing seem to use an excessive amount of them to convey emotion. Essentially, exclamation marks are more related to style than grammar.
Multiple exclamation marks are generally added for emphasis, although this is not strictly grammatically correct. In informal communication, this would be fine and three is the most common number. However, in terms of what is grammatically allowed, more than one does not have any meaning, and some would argue that you should have no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose. Ultimately, how and when you use exclamatikon marks is a matter of stylistic judgement.
This is not officially gramatically correct, but is common in informal communication and some other contexts. Multiple exclamation marks add emphasis, and are based on personal preference.
It is strictly grammatically incorrect to use multiple exclamation marks. However it can be used as a matter of stylistic judgement. It is fine in informal communication, but rarely in an academic judgement. It has no meaning, but can be used to emphasis or mark the full intensity of emotion. Three exclamation marks are common, however you are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.
The use of three exclamation marks is not generally considered correct, but how many you use and when will depend on stylistic judgement.