Caron facts for kids
A caron (ˇ) is a special symbol called a diacritic. It's written over certain letters to show that they are pronounced differently. You might also hear it called a wedge, inverted circumflex, or inverted hat.
The caron looks like an upside-down circumflex (ˆ). It's similar to another symbol called a breve, but the caron is more pointed at the bottom. It's also used as a symbol in mathematics.
What is a Caron?
A caron is a small mark that changes how a letter sounds. Think of it like a little instruction manual for your mouth! It helps you know if a letter should be pronounced softer, or with a slightly different sound.
Where Carons Are Used
Carons are often found in Baltic languages (like Latvian and Lithuanian), Slavic languages (like Czech, Slovak, and Croatian), and Finno-Lappic languages. In these languages, the caron helps speakers know the correct pronunciation of words.
How Carons Change Sounds
When you see a caron over a letter, it usually means one of a few things:
- Softer Sound: The letter might be pronounced in a softer way. This is sometimes called palatalization. Imagine saying "t" but with your tongue a bit further back, making it sound more like "ch".
- "Y" Sound: Sometimes, the caron means there's a quick "y" sound before a vowel. This is called iotation.
- Back-of-Mouth Sounds: The caron can also show that a letter is pronounced by touching your tongue to the back of the alveolar ridge in your mouth. These are called postalveolar consonants.
Sometimes, a caron is used to show that a letter used to be pronounced differently, even if it's not anymore.
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