acento
/ah-SEN-toh/
accent mark
The word "acento" refers to the written symbol, or accent mark, placed over a vowel.
acento(noun)
accent mark
?written symbol (´)
,stress mark
?indicating pronunciation emphasis
tilde
?often used synonymously with accent mark in common speech, though technically tilde is only used for the ~ over the n
📝 In Action
Olvidaste poner el acento en la 'e' de 'café'.
A1You forgot to put the accent mark on the 'e' of 'café'.
La palabra 'árbol' lleva acento en la primera sílaba.
A1The word 'árbol' carries the stress mark on the first syllable.
¿Este 'si' lleva acento o no?
A2Does this 'si' (if/yes) have an accent mark or not?
💡 Grammar Points
Written vs. Spoken Stress
In Spanish, the accent mark (acento escrito) tells you exactly where to put the emphasis (acento prosódico) in a word, breaking the normal stress rules.
Diacritical Marks
Sometimes the accent mark is used simply to tell two identical-sounding words apart, like 'sí' (yes) and 'si' (if).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'Acento' and 'Tilde'
Mistake: "Using 'tilde' to refer to any accent mark."
Correction: 'Acento' refers to the written mark (´). 'Tilde' technically refers only to the squiggle over the N (ñ), but people often use 'tilde' for the accent mark anyway.
⭐ Usage Tips
Focus on Vowels
The accent mark is always placed over a vowel (á, é, í, ó, ú) to indicate the syllable that should be stressed.
In Spanish, "acento" also describes the regional way a person speaks or pronounces words, commonly known as an accent.
acento(noun)
accent
?regional way of speaking/pronouncing
tone
?manner of speaking
,stress
?emphasis on a syllable (spoken, not written)
📝 In Action
Ella tiene un acento muy fuerte de Andalucía.
A2She has a very strong accent from Andalusia.
Al principio no entendía su acento, pero ya me acostumbré.
B1At first I didn't understand his accent, but I've gotten used to it now.
El presentador habla con un acento neutro.
B2The presenter speaks with a neutral accent.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'Tener' with Accent
To say someone has an accent, use the verb 'tener' (to have): 'Tengo acento inglés' (I have an English accent).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Possessive Accents
Mistake: "Saying 'Mi acento' instead of describing the accent."
Correction: While you can say 'mi acento', it's much more common and natural to specify the type: 'acento español', 'acento colombiano', etc.
⭐ Usage Tips
Discussing Regional Differences
Use this meaning of 'acento' to talk about the beautiful variety of the Spanish language across different countries and regions.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: acento
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'acento' to describe the way someone speaks?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre 'acento' y 'tilde'?
Historically and technically, 'acento' is the general term for the stress (spoken or written), and 'tilde' (~) is only the little squiggle over the letter 'ñ'. However, in everyday Spanish, many people use 'tilde' and 'acento' interchangeably to mean the accent mark (´).
Does having an accent mark (acento) mean a word is always pronounced differently?
Yes. If a word has a written accent mark, it means that syllable receives the strong emphasis, which is different from where the stress would fall if the mark wasn't there.