Topic 16
Stress, accents & pronunciation
The rule, in plain English
Words ending in a vowel, -n or -s are stressed on the second-to-last syllable (casa, hablan); others on the last (hablar, ciudad). A written accent marks an exception (está, inglés) or distinguishes meaning (tú vs tu, sí vs si, él vs el, qué vs que). Vowels are short and pure; each has one sound.
Why it's hard for English speakers
English stress is unpredictable and vowels blur ('schwa'). Spanish is regular, but the accent marks change meaning, so they're not optional.
Accent changes meaning
| No accent | With accent |
|---|---|
| tu (your) | tú (you) |
| el (the) | él (he) |
| si (if) | sí (yes) |
| esta (this) | está (is) |
Examples
- Tú tienes tu libro.You have your book. (tú vs tu)
- Sí, si puedo.Yes, if I can. (sí vs si)
- Él vive en el centro.He lives in the centre. (él vs el)
- Esta casa está lejos.This house is far. (esta vs está)
Common mistakes
- Como estas?¿Cómo estás?Question word + verb both need accents.
- Tu eres altoTú eres altoSubject 'tú' takes an accent.
Practice
Exercises: 0 / 0 correct
___ eres mi amigo. (you)
Esta casa ___ lejos. (is)
Yes = ___ (with accent)
'hablan' is stressed on…