accent
A higher-pitched or stronger (louder or longer) articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to emphasize it.
Noun 4 meanings
A higher-pitched or stronger (louder or longer) articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to emphasize it.
“In the word "careful", the accent is placed on the first syllable.”
Emphasis or importance in general.
“At this hotel, the accent is on luxury.”
A mark used in writing, in order to indicate the place of the spoken stress.
Any mark used in writing over letters, either in order to indicate the place of the spoken stress, or to indicate the nature or quality of the vowel marked, or to distinguish homophones.
“The name Cézanne is written with an acute accent.”
Verb 3 meanings
To express the accent of vocally; to utter with accent.
To mark emphatically; to emphasize; to accentuate; to make prominent.
To mark with written accents.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English accent, from Medieval Latin accentus and Old French accent, acent, both from Latin accentus, past participle of accinō (“sing to, sing along”), from ad- + canō (“to sing”). The word accent had been borrowed into Old English already, but was lost and reborrowed in Middle English.
Similar and opposite words
ACCENT at a glance
ACCENT has 6 letters and scores 10 points in Scrabble (A 1 + C 3 + C 3 + E 1 + N 1 + T 1) and 13 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #5,558 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with accent
All rhymesOne letter away
- ACCEPT12
- ASCENT8
- ACCEND11
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