accentuation rules

In any language, accentuation rules are often essential to understanding the written message more easily. However, in Spanish it is especially delicate, especially if we take into account that there are homographs and homophones whose meaning changes if an orthographic accent —also known as a tilde— is added to them.

En este sentido, The correct accentuation distinguishes more than twenty common homophonous words in Spanish. Its specific accenting rules can be seen in the manuals prescribed by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) and the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (ASALE). Below, we will discuss how to master this crucial part of the language.

To begin with, what exactly is accentuation?

Stress refers to the prominence or force given to a syllable within a word when speaking. In Spanish, There are two main types of accentuation: prosodic, which is pronounced but not written, and the spelling, which is marked with an accent or a tilde. Both help to determine the rhythm and meaning of a specific word, although their uses are different.

This is the classification of words according to their accent

To understand the accentuation rules in Spanish, first It is necessary to classify words according to the position of their stressed syllable., which is the one that receives greater intensity when pronounced:

Acute or oxytone words

Is those words whose stressed syllable is the last. These are graphically accented whenever they end in n, s or a vowel. Some examples of this are the following:

• With accent: coffee, song, also;
• Without tilde: clock, health, living.

Serious, plain or paroxytone words

In this case, Grave words are stressed when the stressed syllable is the penultimate one.. Unlike the previous concept, its accent does not end in n, so vowel. Some examples of this variant are:

• With accent: pencil, tree, difficult;
• Without accent: song, young, tables.

Esdrújulas or proparoxytone words

This is an interesting case, given that the stressed syllable is the penultimate one. This means that it always has an accent, regardless of its ending. To illustrate this, let's look at the following cases.

• Doctor, fast, prisons.

Overstressed words or superproparoxytones

Finally, the stressed syllable of this variant It is located before the penultimate, implying that it should always be graphically accented. Some examples of this are the following cases:

• Give it back to me, tell me, lend it to me.

Special cases of accentuation

In addition to the general rules, There are certain situations that require special attention.

Diacritical accent

The diacritical accent It is used to differentiate words that are spelled the same., but they have different meanings or grammatical functions. Some key examples are as follows.

• You with an accent: It is a personal pronounHowever, when presented without an accent, it is a possessive adjective. The first can be used in cases such as "You are my friend", the second, as "This is your book".

• He with accent: is a personal pronoun, while when its accent is removed it becomes a definite article. In the first case, you can write sentences like “He arrived late”, in the second, “The car is parked”.

• More with accent: is an adverb of quantity or comparisonHowever, when written without an accent, it becomes an adversative conjunction. The first variant is used to write sentences like "I want more cake", while the second, "I wanted to do it, but I couldn't."

• I know with an accent: It is the verb to know, but When its graphic element is omitted, it is a reflexive pronoun. Some examples of sentences that can be created with both are: in the first case, "I know what you do," in the second, "He got up early."

Accentuation in monosyllables

As a general rule, monosyllables do not have an accent., except when a diacritical accent is used. Here are some examples:

• Without tilde: sun, month, you.
• With accent: pronouns me and you.

Diphthongs and hiatuses

This is where accentuation can get tricky. In this case, the combination or separation of the vowels that make up a word affects the accentuation process.

diphthongs

It is the union of a strong or open vowel —a, e, o— with a weak or closed —i, u—. If this diphthong is formed by an open vowel preceded by a closed vowel, the accent is written over the first. On the other hand, it may happen that the diphthong is composed of two closed vowels. If this is the case, the accent is placed over the second. Some examples of this are:

• Open vowel next to created vowel: media, umlaut, action, aquatic;
• Two closed vowels: twenty-one, Jesuit, aquifer.

hiatus

Unlike the previous case, This represents the separation of two consecutive vowels that form two syllables.In this context, if the weak vowel has an accent, the diphthong is broken, becoming a hiatus. Some examples of this variant are:

• Corn, poetry.

What is the accentuation in compound words?

Simple words joined together

When two words are combined without a hyphen, the accentuation rules change. For example: if the first word had an accent and loses its tonic function, it is eliminated, as in the case explained below.

• Tenth + seventh = seventeenth.

Hyphenated compound words

Unlike the previous variant, here, Each term maintains its original accent. For example: uterine

• Physical-chemical, theoretical-practical.

Adverbs ending in "mente"

Adverbs derived from adjectives keep the accent if the original adjective carried it. To illustrate this, it is worth reviewing the following words:

• Fast = quickly;
• Easy = easily.

Common mistakes when applying accentuation rules

Despite the clarity of the rules, it is common to make mistakes. This could have to do with the amount of formulas that are applied. in spelling. To avoid confusion, it is wise to know some of the most common mistakes.

Confusion in homonymous words

• Use “my” instead of “me” or “de” instead of “dé.”

Forgetting to accentuate diphthongs or hiatuses

• This is especially true in cases like “Raúl” or “país.”

Lack of knowledge of overstressed words

• It is not recognized that they always have an accent.

Final tips for mastering accentuation

practice constantly

Reading and writing frequently reinforces the visual memory of accented words.

Consult dictionaries

When in doubt, it is possible to resort to reliable sources such as the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE).

Using digital tools

Spell checkers on cell phones or apps can help detect errors.

Study the exceptions

Finally, it is necessary to become familiar with special cases such as diacritical accents and hiatuses.

The evolution of accentuation in Spanish

Over time, the accentuation rules have been revised by the RAE. For example, in 2010 the accent mark was removed from words such as «solo» —when it is equivalent to only— and the demonstrative pronouns «este», «ese» and «aquel», except in ambiguous cases. Although these recommendations are optional, they reflect the evolution and simplification of the language.

The rules of accentuation are a fundamental pillar of Spanish. Their correct use not only facilitates communication, but also denotes precision and knowledge of the language. Although it may seem complex at first, Constant study and the use of appropriate tools can turn someone into an expert.