Definition

Noun: A diacritical mark (´) placed above a vowel in certain languages to indicate a specific quality of pronunciation, such as a particular pitch, stress, or vowel quality.

Usage

The acute accent is used to modify the sound or meaning of a letter, most commonly a vowel. * It is placed over the vowel in a word. * It is used in languages like French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Hungarian. * In English, it is occasionally used in loanwords or for poetic meter.

Examples

• In the French word , the acute accent on the 'e' changes its pronunciation.
• The Spanish word uses an acute accent to indicate which syllable is stressed.
• The name contains an acute accent over the final 'e'.

Advanced Usage

• In Orthography: The acute accent can distinguish between words that are otherwise spelled identically. For example, in Spanish, (if) versus (yes).
• In Phonetics: It can denote a high or rising pitch in phonetic transcription or in the orthography of tonal languages.
• In Typography: The term may refer specifically to the character itself (´) as a typographical element.

Variants and Related Words

• Acute (adjective): When used independently in a linguistic context, "acute" can describe the accent mark itself (e.g., "an acute on the e").
• Accent aigu: The French term for the acute accent.
• Diacritic / Diacritical Mark: The general category of marks, like the acute accent, added to letters.

Synonyms

• Acute
• Accent mark (though this is a broader term)

Related Phrases

• To take an acute accent: A phrase describing a vowel that is written with this mark. (e.g., "The 'e' in 'café' takes an acute accent.")

Noun

1. a mark (') placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation