The circumflex accent (ˆ) is a diacritical mark used in various languages, including French, Portuguese, and Romanian. It typically appears over vowels to indicate a change in pronunciation or to signal that a letter has been omitted. For example, in French, the word "hôtel" uses the circumflex to show that an "s" was historically present. In addition to its phonetic function, the circumflex can also affect the meaning of words. In French, "dû" (meaning "due") and "du" (meaning "of the") are distinguished by the presence of the circumflex. This accent helps clarify pronunciation and meaning in written language.