A hachek, also known as a haček or háček, is a diacritical mark consisting of a small v-shaped or inverted caret (ˇ). It is primarily used in the orthography of several Central European languages, such as Czech, Slovak, Slovene, and Croatian, to modify the pronunciation of a letter.
The hachek is usually placed above certain consonants to indicate a specific sound change. When applied to consonants such as c, s, and z, it denotes a "hissing" sound, which is a voiceless palatal fricative (similar to the "ch" sound in "loch"). It can also be placed on top of the letters n and r to create unique sounds that distinguish them from their non-hachek counterparts.
In addition to modifying consonants, the hachek can also appear on vowels to signal a difference in pronunciation or to indicate a different word altogether. For example, in Czech, the hachek above the letter e differentiates between the long ě and the short e sounds.
The hachek is an important tool in these languages for both native speakers and learners, as it helps to accurately represent sounds and disambiguate words that might otherwise be pronounced or interpreted incorrectly. Its distinctive appearance makes it easily recognizable, and its function in altering phonetic values sets it apart from other diacritical marks found in various writing systems.
