Everything You Ever
Need To Know About
Spanish Accents
áéíóú
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Los acentos:
Accents are marks that are
used in Spanish to indicate:
 that a word does not
follow the rules of stress.
ie...lápiz
2
Los acentos:
Accents are marks that are
used in Spanish to indicate:
 a change in meaning from
another word
ie...sí / si
3
Los acentos:
Accents are marks that are
used in Spanish to indicate:
 an interrogative (question)
word
ie...Cuándo, Dónde, etc.
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Rules of stress RULE # 1
1.If a word ends in a vowel, n or
s, then the stress falls on the
next to the last syllable.
•Pien-san
•Ten-go
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Rules of stress: RULE # 2
2. If the word ends in a consonant
other than n or s, then the stress
falls on the last syllable.
•Co-mer
•Prin-ci-pal
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Rules of stress: RULE #3
3. Any exception to rule #1 or rule
#2 must have a written accent to
show where the verbal stress
belongs.
•Te-le-vi-sión
•Pá-ja-ro
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Accents
• Always go on a vowel
• Are a strong mark beginning right
over a vowel and going up at a 45
degree angle to the right.
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If a words ends in an "n", "s", or a "vowel",
the verbal stress falls on the second to
last syllable.

1. pien-san - they think
2. pa-re-cen - they seem
3. a-bu-rren - they bore us
4. can-tan - they sing
5. ob-tie-nen - they get
6. des-can-san - they rest
7. bar-cos - ships
8. tien-das - stores
9. pier-des - you lose
10. e-di-fi-cios - buildings
11. com-prue-bas - you prove
12. tier-no - tender
13. ca-sa - house
14. bo-ni-ta - pretty
15. ro-to - broken
16. ma-ra-vi-llo-sa - wonderful
17. e-xce-len-te - excellent
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RULE #2
When a word ends with any consonant other than "n" or
"s", the verbal stress falls on the last syllable



1. prin-ci-pal - principal
2. ar-chi-va-dor - filer
3. ciu-dad - city
4. se-rie-dad - seriousness
5. des-can-sar - to rest
6. co-mer - to eat
7. in-quie-tud - worry
8. es-ta-tal - state
9. po-pu-lar - popular
10. es-ca-sez - scarcity
11. po-ten-cial - potential
12. ca-paz - capable
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THE NO-BRAINER RULE
If the word has an accent, stress the part of the word
where the accent is found.



1. te-le-vi-sión - television
2. can-ción - song
3. na-ta-ción - swimming
4. vein-tiún - twenty-one
5. con-so-la-ción - comfort
6. miér-co-les - Wednesday
7. es-trés - stress
8. sá-ba-dos - Saturdays
9. ví-ve-res - groceries
10. ex-á-me-nes - exams
11. pá-ja-ro - bird
12. co-mién-do-lo - eating it
13. co-mió - he ate
14. gé-ne-ro - gender
15. ó-pa-lo - opal
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