1.03.1Basic
HOME is defined in the current shell.
Print the text $HOME literally instead of expanding the variable.
Which command is appropriate?
× Incorrect
Inside single quotes, the dollar sign is treated as literal text and variable expansion does not occur.
Detailed explanation
Incorrect
echo $HOMEIncorrect. Unquoted $HOME expands to the variable value.
Incorrect
echo "$HOME"Incorrect. Double quotes still allow variable expansion.
Incorrect
echo ${HOME}Incorrect. Braces clarify the variable name but still expand its value.
Correct
echo '$HOME'Correct. Single quotes suppress the special meaning of $ and pass the literal text.
Try it yourself
An example you can run in a temporary verification environment.
HOME=/example; echo '$HOME'Expected result
$HOMEKey points
- Single quotes suppress expansion
- Double quotes expand variables
- Braces still perform expansion
Notes
- Environment: Bash 5.x / echo builtin
- Use disposable shell sessions and harmless commands for experiments.
- Shell behavior can depend on Bash options and distribution defaults.
Foundation review
Place the operation
Single quotes are the strongest simple quote for displaying a dollar expression literally.
Check the side effect
Compare a single-quoted, double-quoted, and unquoted expansion with printf.
Question IDKL-101-437
EnvironmentBash 5.x / echo builtin
Last technical review2026-08-13
Report an error or rights issue