Caron

Caron

Caron symbol The caron is a diacritical mark used in various languages to indicate a change in pronunciation or to distinguish between different sounds. It is represented by a small, inverted "v" or "u" shape placed above a letter. In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), the caron is used to indicate a rising tone.

Usage

The caron is commonly used in Slavic languages, such as Czech, Slovak, and Slovene, to indicate palatalization or a change in vowel quality. For example, in Czech, the letter "c" with a caron (č) represents the sound /tʃ/, similar to the "ch" sound in "cheese". In Slovak, the caron is used to indicate a long vowel sound, as in the word "môj" (my).

In the Baltic languages, such as Lithuanian and Latvian, the caron is used to indicate a long vowel sound or a change in vowel quality. In Lithuanian, the letter "e" with a caron (ę) represents the sound /æ/, while in Latvian, the caron is used to indicate a long vowel sound, as in the word "mēness" (moon).

The caron is also used in the romanization of various languages, such as Serbo-Croatian and Vietnamese. In Serbo-Croatian, the caron is used to indicate a palatalized consonant, as in the word "đak" (student). In Vietnamese, the caron is used to indicate a rising tone, as in the word "hỏi" (to ask).

Examples

Here are some examples of words or letters with carons in different languages:

• Czech: č (čaj - tea)
• Slovak: ô (môj - my)
• Lithuanian: ę (bėgti - to run)
• Latvian: ē (mēness - moon)
• Serbo-Croatian: đ (đak - student)
• Vietnamese: ỏ (hỏi - to ask)

See Also

• Diacritical mark
• International Phonetic Alphabet
• Slavic languages
• Baltic languages
• Romanization