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Definitions |
| a. STRESS - where the emphasis of a word is. It is heard, not written. ex: encyclopedia, dishes, Susan |
| b. ACCENT - a written mark over a vowel. There are none in the English language. |
Rules for STRESS in Spanish |
| 1. A word ending in a vowel, N, or S puts stress on the next-to-last syllable. |
| ex: casas, corrigen, adverbio, medios, Zaragoza. |
| 2. A word ending in a consonant other than N or S puts stress on the last syllable. |
| ex: pared, español, vivir, levantar, proximidad. |
| 3. All other words have a written accent on the vowel of the stressed syllable. |
| ex: catálogo, habló, mándalo, pirámide, declaración. |
Rules for ACCENTS in Spanish |
| 1. If you break a stress rule, then an accent is needed. |
| ex. te|le|fo|no - stress rule says emphasize the underlined "o." See rule #1 above. But the word came into Spanish with the stress on "e," so, the word "teléfono" breaks stress rule #1 and therefore must carry an accent. |
| 2. You must hear a word to know if an accent is needed. |
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