Editing Iteration mark (section)

===Repeating multiple characters===
[[Image:IterationMarks600.jpg|thumb|right|A variety of iteration marks in use in the classical text {{nihongo||徒然草|[[Tsurezuregusa]]}} {{lang|ja|「世に語り傳ふる事–げにげにしく所々うちおぼめき–また疑ひ嘲るべからず」}} (73rd passage)]]

In addition to the single-character iteration marks, there are also two-character-sized '''repeat marks''', which are used to repeat the preceding word or phrase. They are used in [[Horizontal and vertical writing in East Asian scripts|vertical writing]] only, and they are effectively obsolete in modern Japanese. The vertical kana repeat marks {{lang|ja|〱}} (unvoiced) and {{lang|ja|〲}} (voiced) resemble the hiragana character {{nihongo||く|ku}}, giving them their name, {{nihongo||くの字点|kunojiten}}. They stretch to fill the space typically occupied by two characters, but may indicate a repetition of more than two characters. For example, the duplicated phrase {{lang|ja|何とした何とした}} may be repeated as {{lang|ja|何とした〱}}. If a {{Transliteration|ja|dakuten}} (voiced mark) is added, it applies to the first sound of the repeated word; this is written as {{lang|ja|〲}}. For example, {{Transliteration|ja|tokorodokoro}} could be written horizontally as {{lang|ja|ところ〲}}; the voiced iteration mark only applies to the first sound {{lang|ja|と}}.

In addition to the single-character representations {{unichar|3031|VERTICAL KANA REPEAT MARK}} and {{unichar|3032|VERTICAL KANA REPEAT WITH VOICED SOUND MARK}}, [[Unicode]] provides the half-character versions {{unichar|3033|VERTICAL KANA REPEAT MARK UPPER HALF}}, {{unichar|3034|VERTICAL KANA REPEAT WITH VOICED SOUND MARK UPPER HALF}} and {{unichar|3035|VERTICAL KANA REPEAT MARK LOWER HALF}}, which can be stacked to render both voiced and unvoiced repeat marks:

{| lang="ja" style="padding-left: 3em"
| <div style='border:0;padding:0;font-size:15px;'><div style='height:1em;'>〳</div><div style='height:1em;'>〵</div></div> || <div style='border:0;padding:0;font-size:15px;'><div style='height:1em;'>〴</div><div style='height:1em;'>〵</div></div>
|}

As support for these is limited, the ordinary forward slash {{lang|ja|／}} and backward slash {{lang|ja|＼}} are occasionally used as substitutes.

Alternatively, multiple single-character iteration marks can be used, as in {{nihongo||ところゞゝゝ|tokorodokoro}} or {{nihongo||馬鹿々々しい|bakabakashii}}. This practice is also uncommon in modern writing, though it is occasionally seen in horizontal writing as a substitute for the vertical repeat mark.{{dubious|date=July 2024}}

Unlike the single-kana iteration mark, if the first kana is voiced, the unvoiced version {{lang|ja|〱}} alone will repeat the voiced sound.

Further, if {{Transliteration|ja|[[okurigana]]}} are present, then no iteration mark should be used, as in {{lang|ja|休み休み}}. This is prescribed by the Japanese Ministry of Education in its 1981 Cabinet notification prescribes, rule #6.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}