The present invention provides a high carbon steel wire remarkably excellent in wire-drawability and fatigue resistance after wire drawing with a low cost due to reduced use of costly alloys. A high carbon steel wire according to the present invention is one excellent in wire-drawability and fatigue resistance after wire drawing, characterized in that; the total oxygen content is 15 to 50 ppm; among non-metallic inclusions included therein, the number of inviscid inclusions is 1.5 pieces/mm2 or less in average under the visual field of an optical microscope; among the inviscid inclusions, the number of those having a composition falling within composition A specified below accounts for more than 20% and the total number of those having a composition falling within composition A or B specified below accounts for 80% or more; and the thickness of the inviscid inclusions having a composition falling within composition A specified below is 40 &mgr;m or less; composition A: containing over 70% of SiO2, composition B: containing 25 to 70% of SiO2, 8 to 30% of MnO, 40% or less of MgO, 35% or less of Al2O3, 25% or less of CaO and 6% or less of TiO2, and at least 5% of one or both of Al2O3 and MgO, and additionally at least 2% of one or both of CaO and TiO2.