Courses / Spanish / Basics, lesson 4

Stress and accent marks

Every Spanish word of two or more syllables has one strong syllable, the beat. Two simple rules tell you where it falls, and a small written mark, the accent, tells you when a word breaks them. With these, you can say any written word correctly.

The beat of a word

One strong syllable

Shown in CAPITALS on the cards.

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Ends inBeat onWithout a markBreaks the rule: a mark
a vowel, n or sthe next to last syllableCA·sa · HA·blan · LU·nesca·FÉ · a·vi·ÓN
any other consonantthe last syllableha·BLAR · ciu·DADLÁ·piz · ÁR·bol
(third syllable from the end)always markedMÚ·si·ca · te·LÉ·fo·no

Marks that change the meaning

A few short words are told apart only by the mark. Some even sound different.

Same letters, different words

papa · papá

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Without a markWith a mark
si ifsí yes
tu yourtú you
el theél he
mas but (formal)más more
se oneselfsé I know

Question words always carry a mark

Question words

Questions are marked

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Practice

Listen: question 1

Press Play and listen.

1 / 1
Question

Where is the beat in the word Lupe said?

Hint
Look for the mark: teléfono.
Solution

The mark on é shows the beat: te·LÉ·fo·no.

Listen: question 2

Press Play and listen.

1 / 1
Question

Which word did Pedro say?

Hint
Is the beat at the start or the end?
Solution

Pedro said papá, with the beat on the last syllable: dad.

Question

Which word needs an accent mark? (The beat is on the capital syllable.)

Hint
Which word breaks rule 1 or rule 2?
Solution

árbol: it ends in l, so rule 2 puts the beat on the last syllable, but the beat is on the first: it needs a mark. mesa and ciudad follow the rules.

Question

Where is the beat in comen (they eat)?

Hint
It ends in n, and has no mark.
Solution

It ends in n and has no mark, so rule 1: CO·men.

Question

Where is the beat in papel (paper)?

Hint
It ends in a consonant that is not n or s.
Solution

It ends in l, so rule 2: pa·PEL.

Question

Which word means yes?

Hint
The two sound the same; one carries a mark.
Solution

sí is yes; si is if.

Put the syllables of teléfono in order

Click the items in the correct order. Click an item in your answer to move it back.

Available items
Your order

Note.

Next: writing Spanish: the upside-down marks ¿ and ¡, which words take capital letters, and how to type á, ñ, ¿ and ¡ on any device.