Neutron diffraction with isotopic substitution has been used to investigate the liquid structures of propylene carbonate and glycerol carbonate. C–H⋯OC hydrogen-bonding motifs dominate the local structure of propylene carbonate, giving rise to the formation of head-to-tail correlated chains of molecules. In contrast, glycerol carbonate exhibits a more disordered structure with no overall dominant interactions in which the pendant hydroxyl function disrupts structure-making correlations present in propylene carbonate.