Q. When an apostrophe begins a line of dialogue, for a word like ’cause or some other contraction, should there be a space between the opening quotation mark and the apostrophe? I believe that the Manual suggests a space between a single quotation mark and closing quotes, and I wondered if a similar rule applied.
A. Yes, a similar rule would apply. But note that a thin space (or sometimes a hair space) is typically used in typeset material between contiguous quotation marks (or a quotation mark and an apostrophe). For material to be published online, a nonbreaking space is preferable. See CMOS 6.119–21. In a manuscript intended for publication, either use no space or a nonbreaking space, but do so consistently.