Meaning & use
caron
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountabletechnical
A mark shaped like a small v placed above a letter to show a special pronunciation.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a caron' or 'two carons'. It is usually used in technical writing about languages.
Patterns
- a caron over a letter
- the caron symbol
In Czech, the letter 'č' is written with a caron above the c.
The keyboard shortcut lets you type a caron over any vowel.
Linguists use the caron to mark certain sounds in phonetic transcription.
Word forms
| plural | carons |
|---|
Common combinations
- a caron over the letter
- The name 'Dvořák' has a caron over the r.
- the caron symbol
- You can insert the caron symbol from the special characters menu.
- letters with a caron
- Czech and Slovenian use several letters with a caron.
Synonyms and how they differ
- haček
- Haček is another name for the same mark, borrowed from Czech; it is common in linguistics but less known to general readers.
- wedge
- Wedge is sometimes used for the caron because of its shape, but it can also refer to other things, so it is less precise.
Commonly confused: caron or cedilla? caron or caret?
caron vs cedilla
A cedilla is a mark placed under a letter (like ç), while a caron goes above a letter (like č). They look different and show different pronunciations.
caron vs caret
A caret is the symbol ^ used in proofreading and computing, while a caron is a similar but rounded mark used in alphabets. They are not the same.
Practice
What is a caron?
Choose one answer.
A caron is specifically a mark above a letter, often shaped like a v. A mark under a letter is a cedilla, and a punctuation mark is not a caron.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “caron”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.