What term describes a diacritical marking above a vowel indicating a short sound in a closed syllable?

The term that describes a diacritical marking placed above a vowel to indicate a short sound in a closed syllable is known as a breve. A breve is represented by a curved symbol (˘) that looks like a small "U" placed over the vowel. It signifies that the vowel sound is short, which is fundamental in phonics and multi-sensory structured language education, especially in identifying how sounds correspond to letters.

Understanding the breve's role is essential for teaching reading and pronunciation, particularly in closed syllables where a vowel is followed by one or more consonants, leading to a short vowel sound. This concept helps students grasp phonemic awareness and develop their reading skills effectively.

While accent marks also indicate pronunciation nuances, they can refer to both short and long sounds, making them less specific than the breve for this context. The term diacritic is a general term for any marking added to a letter to alter its pronunciation, and a macron, which is a line placed over a vowel, indicates a long sound, contrasting with the short sound that the breve denotes. Thus, recognizing the distinct functions of these diacritical marks is key in structured language education.