Stress and Accent Mark






Word Stress and Acent Mark in Spanish

Today we are going to learn the Word Stress and the Accent Mark in Spanish, I will show you the rules and many examples for you to get familiar with this topic.


El Acento:

The Spanish word for "stress" is Acento

  - El acento is the emphasis that you put on a syllable as you speak it.

-  In every word, one syllable always gets more emphasis than the others.

- With single-syllable words, you don't have to worry about it, but many words have more than one syllable.

La Tilde

The Spanish word for "accent" is Tilde

-  La tilde is written from lower left to upper right.

-  Spanish accents can only be written over the five vowels.

- If a Spanish word has a written accent mark, or tilde, the word stress falls on whatever syllable has the tilde.


In Spanish, there are four main categories of words based on where the position of the stress is:




Palabras Agudas

Are words that are stressed on the last syllable.

If these words end in a consonant other than "n" or "s" they are written without an accent mark.

Example words:

          - Ciudad    (city)
          - Animal    (animal)
          - Reloj       (watch)

Many of these words are verbs in infinitive such as:

          - Amar    (to love)
          - Vivir     (to live)
          - Jugar    (to play)

But if these words end in a vowel, letter "n" or letter "s", they carry a written accent mark.

          - Avión       (plane)
          - Ca        (coffee)
          - Jabón      (soap)
          - Ma      (mom)
          - Bebé        (baby)
          - Camión    (truck)


 2. Plabras Graves o Llanas

Are words that are stressed on the next to last syllable.

If these words end in a vowel, letter "n" or letter "s", they do noy carry a written accent mark.

          - Joven      (young)
          - Lunes      (monday)
          - Queso      (cheese)
          - Amigo      (friend)
          - Helado     (ice cream)
          - Fruta        (fruit)


But if these words end in a consonant other than "n" or "s" they carry a written accent mark.

          - Árbol        (tree)
          - Ángel       (angel)
          - piz        (pencil)
          - der        (leader)
          - cil         (easy)
          - Acar      (sugar)

3. Palabras Esdrújulas

Are words that have the stress on the third to last syllable.

They always have a written accent mark.

          - Plátano        (banana)
          - pido         (fast)
          - Clásico         (classic)
          - Fantástico    (fantastic)
          - Gratica    (grammar)
          - Tefono       (telephone)

4. Palabras Sobresdrújulas

Are words that have the stress on the fourth to last syllable.

The only words with this stress are verbs with one or two pronouns attached to them, and many of them are commands.

These words always have a written accent mark.

          - matelo          (drink it)
          - Cuéntamelo      (tell me)
          - metelo          (eat it)
          - Llévatelo           (take it)


             Watch the full lesson and its correct pronunciation.


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