diakritickou

Diakritická is a Czech and Slovak term referring to diacritical marks. These are small signs or symbols added to a letter to alter its pronunciation, stress, or meaning. They are an integral part of the orthography of many languages, including Czech and Slovak, where they distinguish words that would otherwise be spelled identically.

Common diacritical marks used in Czech and Slovak include the háček (ˇ), which typically indicates a palatalized sound or a long vowel (e.g., č, š, ž, ň, ť, ď, ů), and the čárka (´), which signifies a long vowel (e.g., á, é, í, ó, ú, ý). The kroužek (˚) appears only above the letter 'u' to denote a long vowel (ů). Another important mark is the obruba (¨) or dvě tečky, used in some languages but not standard in modern Czech and Slovak, though it historically appeared.

The presence and function of diacritical marks can significantly impact the meaning of words. For instance, in Czech, 'a' and 'á' represent different vowel lengths and can differentiate words. Similarly, 'c' and 'č' are distinct sounds and letters. Mastering these diacritics is crucial for accurate reading and writing in these Slavic languages. Their use is not merely decorative; they are phonemic and essential for correct pronunciation and lexical distinction.