Macron facts for kids
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| Ā | ā |
| Ǟ | ǟ |
| Ǡ | ǡ |
| Ǣ | ǣ |
| Ḇ | ḇ |
| C̄ | c̄ |
| Ḏ | ḏ |
| Ē | ē |
| Ḕ | ḕ |
| Ḗ | ḗ |
| Ḡ | ḡ |
| H̱ | ẖ |
| Ī | ī |
| Ḵ | ḵ |
| Ḻ | ḻ |
| Ḹ | ḹ |
| M̄ | m̄ |
| Ṉ | ṉ |
| N̄ | n̄ |
| Ō | ō |
| Ṓ | ṓ |
| Ṑ | ṑ |
| Ȫ | ȫ |
| Ǭ | ǭ |
| Ȭ | ȭ |
| Ȱ | ȱ |
| R̄ | r̄ |
| Ṟ | ṟ |
| Ṝ | ṝ |
| Ṯ | ṯ |
| Ū | ū |
| Ǖ | ǖ |
| Ṻ | ṻ |
| Ȳ | ȳ |
| Ẕ | ẕ |
A macron ( ¯ ) is a special mark that looks like a small, flat line. It's often placed right above a letter, usually a vowel (like a, e, i, o, u). The word "macron" comes from the Greek word makrón, which means "long."
This little mark helps us know how to say a letter or what a word means. It can make a vowel sound longer or change the meaning of a symbol in math.
Contents
What is a Macron?
A macron is a type of diacritic. A diacritic is a small mark added to a letter to change its sound or meaning. Think of it like an accent mark you might see in other languages. The macron specifically tells you that a vowel should be pronounced for a longer time than usual.
Macrons in Different Languages
Macrons are used in many languages around the world. They are especially important in languages like Japanese and Hawaiian.
Japanese Language
When Japanese words are written using the romanization system (which uses our alphabet), macrons are used to show a long vowel. This means you hold the vowel sound for a bit longer when you say it.
For example, in the Hepburn romanization system:
- kōtsū (交通) means "traffic." The "o" sound is long.
- kotsu (骨) means "bone" or "knack." The "o" sound is short.
As you can see, the macron changes the meaning of the word!
Hawaiian Language
In the written Hawaiian language, the macron is called a kahakō. It also shows that a vowel should be pronounced as a long sound. This is very important for speaking Hawaiian correctly, as the length of a vowel can change what a word means.
Macrons in Math and Science
Macrons aren't just for languages! They are also used in mathematics and science. In these fields, a macron (or sometimes called an overline) can mean different things:
- It can show a mean (or average) of a group of numbers. For example, if you have a list of test scores, a macron over the letter 'x' (like `x̄`) might mean "the average score."
- It can also be used in more advanced math, like to show a complex conjugate or a logical negation. These are more complex ideas you might learn about later in your studies.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Macron para niños
