Apostrophes

This page describes when to use an apostrophe and when not to use an apostrophe.

When to use an apostrophe

Use an apostrophe to form the possessive case of nouns. For singular nouns, add an apostrophe and an s, even if the noun ends in s, x, or z. To form the possessive of plural nouns that end in s, add only an apostrophe. For example:

• user's database
• box's width
• CSS's syntax
• quiz's questions
• OSS's license
• users' data
• Mileses' trumpets

tip

Sometimes, using an apostrophe to form the possessive case of nouns might sound unnatural. In those cases, consider rewriting the sentence to not use an apostrophe.

In addition, use an apostrophe to indicate a missing letter in a contraction. For example:

• don't
• it's
• should've

When to not use an apostrophe

Don't use an apostrophe in the following cases:

• For the possessive form of it.
  • Example: Replace a formula with its calculated value.
• With a possessive pronoun.
  • Example: The choice is yours.
• To form the plural of a singular noun.
  • Example: Play your favorite games on all your devices.
• To create the possessive form of Scalar product, service, or feature names.
  • Examples:
    • Check the ScalarDB documentation.
    • Read the release notes for ScalarDB.