# Reserved characters in SSML
<a name="escapees"></a>

There are five predefined characters that can't normally be used within an SSML statement. These entities are reserved by the language specification. These characters are as follows:


| Name | Character | Escape code | 
| --- | --- | --- | 
| quotation mark (double quotation mark) | " | &quot; | 
| ampersand | & | &amp; | 
| apostrophe or single quotation mark | ' | &apos; | 
| less than sign | < | &lt; | 
| greater than sign | > | &gt; | 

Because SSML uses these characters as part of its code, to use these symbols in SSML, you must *escape* the character when you use it. You use the escape code instead of the actual character so it displays properly while still creating a valid SSML document. For example, the following sentence

```
We're using the lawyer at Peabody & Chambers, attorneys-at-law.
```

would be rendered in SSML as 

```
<speak>
We&apos;re using the lawyer at Peabody &amp; Chambers, attorneys-at-law.
</speak>
```

In this case, the special characters for the apostrophe and ampersand are escaped so the SSML document remains valid.

For the **&**, **<**, and **>** symbols, escape codes are always necessary when you use SSML. Additionallty, when you use the apostrophe/single quotation mark (**'**) as an apostrophe, you must also use the escape code.

However, when you use the double quotation mark (**"**), or the apostrophe/single quotation mark (**'**) as a quotation mark, then whether or not you use the escape code is dependent on context.

Double quotation marks 
+ Must be escaped when in a attribute value delimited by double quotes. For example, in the following AWS CLI code 

  ```
  --text "Pete &quot;Maverick&quot; Mitchell"
  ```
+ Do not need to be escaped when in textual context. For example, in the following

  ```
  He said, "Turn right at the corner."
  ```
+ Do not need to be escaped when in a attribute value delimited by single quotes. For example, in the following AWS CLI code 

  ```
  --text 'Pete "Maverick" Mitchell'
  ```

Single quotation marks 
+ Must be escaped when used as an apostrophe. For example, in the following 

  ```
  We&apos;ve got to leave quickly.
  ```
+ Do not need to be escaped when in textual context. For example, in the following

  ```
  "And then I said, 'Don't quote me.'"
  ```
+ Do not need to be escaped when in a code attribute delimited by double quotes. For example, in the following AWS CLI code 

  ```
  --text "Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell"
  ```