Carat vs. karat vs. caret

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 does caret mean?

Caret is a noun which refers to a mark placed on a manuscript to indicate a proposed insertion. Caret is a borrowed word from Latin meaning that something is lacking.

For example:

• My professor added so many carets to my essay.

What’s the difference between carat, karat and caret?

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. Caret, on the other hand, refers to a mark placed on a manuscript.

• The diamond valuer added a caret to the ring’s documentation, adding it was a half-carat diamond and a 24-karat gold band.