Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

caron

Noun

/ˈkær.ən/

Definition

A diacritic mark used in various writing systems, resembling an inverted circumflex, which indicates a specific pronunciation or modification of a letter.

Examples

The letter ‘č’ in Czech is pronounced like ‘ch’ in English, marked by the caron.
In Slovak, ‘š’ with a caron denotes a ‘sh’ sound.
Many Slavic languages utilize the caron to distinguish between similar sounds.

Meaning

In linguistic terms, the caron modifies the pronunciation of certain consonants, often altering their phonetic qualities. It is commonly used in languages such as Czech or Slovak.