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"El acento" is a form of "acento", a noun which is often translated as "accent". "Tilde" is a form of "tildar", a transitive verb which is often translated as "to put an accent on". Learn more about the difference between "el acento" and "tilde" below.
el acento(
ah
-
sehn
-
toh
)A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
1. (intonation)
a. accent
Misha habla español con un acento ruso pronunciado.Misha speaks Spanish with a pronounced Russian accent.
2. (importance)
a. accent
¿Se escribe así? - No, no lleva acento.Do you spell it like that? - No, it doesn't have an accent on it.
b. stress
¿Dije bien tu nombre? - No, el acento cae en la primera sílaba.Did I pronounce your name right? - No, the stress falls on the first syllable.
c. emphasis
Si cambias el acento, cambias el significado de la palabra.If you change the emphasis, you change the meaning of the word.
tildar(
teel
-
dahr
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (grammar)
a. to put an accent on
Mi nombre es "Martín". Te olvidaste de tildar la "i".My name is "Martín." You forgot to put an accent on the "i."
b. to put a tilde over
Si tildas la "n" en "cano", el significado de la palabra cambia.If you put a tilde over the "n" in "cano," the meaning of the word changes.
