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Because using certain keys could break your JavaScript (and JSON was designed to be a subset), like

    { delete: "me" }
If you don't want to keep a list of known keywords around, just insisting on quotes is the easier way.

[EDIT: See also this YouTube video, where Douglas Crockford explains it himself: https://youtu.be/-C-JoyNuQJs?t=5m]



Unquoted keywords are valid ES5.1 object properties.

    alert(JSON.stringify({delete: "me", for: 1, var: 2}));
results in:

    {"delete":"me","for":1,"var":2}
The only browser it does not work in is IE8 and earlier.


JSON significantly predates ES 5.1




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