Carat vs. karat

What does carat mean?

Carat is a noun which refers to a unit of weight of precious stones and in British English it also means a measure of the purity of gold.

For example:

• This ring has a half-carat diamond.

• This ring has a 24-carat gold band.

What does karat mean?

Karat is a noun which refers to a measure of the purity of gold in American English.

For example:

• She wanted nothing more than a 24-karat gold ring.

What’s the difference between carat and karat?

Carat refers to a unit of weight of precious stones and a measure of the purity of gold in British English while karat means a measure of the purity of gold in American English.

• This ring has a half-carat diamond and a 24-karat gold band.