Here we look at the difference between the short and long vowel markings.
Short Vowel:
The diacritical mark ˘ above a short vowel is called a ‘breve’ (pronounced ‘breeve’). Breve means ‘short or brief’ in Latin, hence why it is used to indicate a short vowel!
Examples of short vowels are: (notice how the vowel says its SOUND)
/ă/ in apple
/ĕ/ in elf
/ĭ/ in ink
/ŏ/ in orange
/ŭ/ in umbrella
Long Vowel:
The macron indicates a long vowel and the vowel says its NAME. Examples are:
/ā/ in ape
/ē/ in heel
/ī/ in ice-cream
/ō/ in mole
/ū/ in unicorn
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