Combining Inverted Breve

Type the base letter first, then insert the mark.

The mark has no spacing width of its own: in ȃ, it joins the a. If it comes first, it may float or attach to the wrong letter.

In TIPA with LaTeX, \textroundcap{o} produces an inverted breve over o. Other input methods must insert this combining mark after the letter it modifies.

What does this mark mean in pronunciation notes?

It marks a long falling pitch accent over a vowel.

In Croatian and Serbian pronunciation notation, the voice falls in pitch over a lengthened vowel. Everyday spelling usually leaves this detail unmarked; dictionaries and textbooks add it when pronunciation needs to be clear.

Greek accent signs were devised in the 3rd century BC to mark pitch; the system became Byzantine around 400 AD. The Greek circumflex began as an arch-like mark and changed to a wavy form in the Middle Ages. This is a historical shape parallel, not an established origin for this exact combining character.

In 1812, Starčević first described a four-accent system; Croatian and Serbian standards were established in the late 19th century. Croatian pitch-accent notation marks pitch and vowel length; the Zagreb variety relies on stress, and other regional varieties do not keep every contrast.