circumflex

Meanings

1. 1nouncountabletechnical

   A small mark shaped like a hat or an upside-down V (^) written above a vowel to show how it should be pronounced or to show that a letter is missing.

   Grammar: Countable: a circumflex, two circumflexes.

   Patterns

   • a circumflex on a vowel
   • with a circumflex

   The French word for forest is spelled with a circumflex over the e.

   A circumflex over the o changes the sound in some languages.

   Students often forget to add the circumflex when typing in French.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nountechnicalspecialist

   Marked with, or pronounced with, a rising and falling tone or the sign described above.

   Grammar: Used before a noun: a circumflex accent, a circumflex vowel.

   Patterns

   • circumflex accent

   The word has a circumflex accent over the first vowel.

   Ancient Greek used a circumflex pitch on certain syllables.

   The circumflex vowel is longer in this dialect.

Word forms

Common combinations

circumflex accent

The circumflex accent appears in the word hôtel.

add a circumflex

Add a circumflex to the o in rôle.

circumflex over a vowel

A circumflex over a vowel can mark a lost letter.

drop the circumflex

Many writers drop the circumflex when typing quickly.

Synonyms and how they differ

hat

Hat is an informal name some people use for the ^ mark, but it does not refer to the accent's linguistic role.

caret

Caret is the same shape used to show where to insert text, so it belongs to editing, not spelling.

diacritic

Diacritic is the wider category of marks above or below letters, and circumflex is one specific kind.

Word family

circumflexed adjective

marked with a circumflex

circum- prefix

a prefix meaning around, as in circumference

Commonly confused: circumflex or circumference? circumflex or acute accent?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “circumflex”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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