acentos ortográficos

acentos ortográficosaccent marks

help with pronunciation distinguishing between certain homonyms demonstrative pronouns indicating a question separating numerals

acentos ortográficos

uses

If a word ends in a vowel, the letter s, or the letter n, the stress is on the next to last syllable;

camino hablan muchachas


pronunciation

In other words without an accent, the stress is on the last syllable;

querer ciudad


pronunciation

A written accent mark IS required if the situation is not as given in the above two rules, that is, when:


pronunciation

The word ends in a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or n or s and the stress falls on the last syllable;

caminó canción verás


pronunciation

◦The word ends in a consonant other than n or s and the stress falls on the next-to-last syllable;

◦mártir ◦cárcel


pronunciation

◦The stress falls on any vowel more than two syllables from the end of the word;

◦propósito ◦dándomelo


pronunciation

Does the word end in a, e, i, o, u, n, or s?

“yes” + not stressed on the next-to-the-last syllable = written accent


pronunciation

Does the word end in a, e, i, o, u, n, or s?

“no” + not stressed on the last syllable=written accent


pronunciation

A vowel may either gain or lose an accent when

a word is put into plural or singular.

examen (egg-SAW-men) exámenes (eggs-SAH-men-ess canción (kahn-SEEOHN) canciones (kahn-SEEOHN-ess)


pronunciation

de (of, from); dé (formal command of dar) el (the); él (he) mas (but); más (more) mi (my); mí (me); se (pronoun); sé (1st person, present saber) si (if); sí (yes) solo (single, alone); sólo (only, solely) te (you - as an object); té (tea) tu (your); tú (you)


distinguishing homonyms

demonstrative pronouns (éste, ése, and aquél, this one, that one) generally carry a written accent mark

while

demonstrative adjectives (este, ese, and aquel, this, that) never do.


demonstrative pronouns

Question words are written with a writtenaccent mark:

¿adónde? to where? ¿dónde? where? ¿cómo? how?, ¿cuál? which? ¿cuándo? when? ¿cuánto(s)? how much, how many? ¿qué? what, how? ¿quién(es)? who, whom?


indicating a question

The corresponding relative pronouns orconnecting words are not:

adonde to where como as, like, because cual which, as cuando when cuanto(s) as much, as many donde where que which, that quien who, whom



¿Adónde vas? Where are you going?

¿Cuánto cuesta? How much does it cost?

¡Qué interesante! How interesting!

No sé cómo se llama. I don't know what his/her name is.



Cuando vengan, iremos al parque. When they come, we'll go to the park.

Digo que no es verdad. I say that it isn't true.

La mujer de quien hablas es la jefa. The woman you're talking about is the boss.



The conjunction o (meaning "or") in between

numerals, it is accented to avoid confusion with the 0 (zero).

Tengo cinco o seis radios I have five or six radios.

Tengo 5 ó 6 radios I have 5 or 6 radios.


separating numerals

acentos ortográficos

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