Spanish Accent Marks
Have you ever stopped to think about just how important one little mark can be in Spanish? By accidentally omitting an accent mark, you can change the tense of a verb—or even the meaning of a word!
In this article, we’ll talk about what Spanish accent marks are, when to use them, and why they’re so important.
What Are Spanish Accent Marks?
Spanish accent marks, or tildes, are small marks like ´, ¨, and ~ that are written above certain letters.
False friend alert! While tilde in Spanish refers to any accent mark, tilde in English refers specifically to the ~ that we find on the ñ in Spanish.
Why Use Accent Marks?
Spanish accent marks are incredibly important. They help us determine where the stress falls in a word, distinguish tenses, and differentiate between identically spelled words.
Hablo(I speak) is not the same as habló(he/she/it spoke). Forgetting the tilde over the ñ is not advisable when wishing someone a feliz Año Nuevo(happy New Year). It, uh, changes the meaning of the sentence—a lot.
How Can I Type Spanish Accent Marks?
Need a letter with an accent mark? It can’t get easier than copying and pasting! Feel free to copy and paste the following letters and punctuation:
Á á É é Í í Ó ó Ú ú Ü ü Ñ ñ ¡ ¿
How to Type Spanish Accent Marks on a Cellphone
Have you ever wondered how to type a Spanish accent mark on your cellphone? It’s quite easy! Just press and hold a letter. On many models of phones, Samsung and iPhone included, a little popup menu with the letter and its possible accent marks appears. Slide your finger to the accent mark you need to select it.
How to Type Spanish Accent Marks on a Computer
It’s inconvenient to keep copying and pasting Spanish accent marks into your documents, social media posts, or internet searches. Take some time to memorize the following character codes. It’ll save you time in the future!
To type a character code into your computer, hold down the ALT button and use your number pad to type the four-digit number after ALT. For example, type ALT 0241 to get the ñ.
| Accented letter | Alt code |
|---|---|
| á | Alt + 0225 |
| é | Alt + 0233 |
| í | Alt + 0237 |
| ó | Alt + 0243 |
| ú | Alt + 0250 |
| ñ | Alt + 0241 |
| ü | Alt + 0252 |
| ¡ | Alt + 0161 |
| ¿ | Alt + 0191 |
There are several ways to type Spanish accent marks on a computer. Want to learn them all? Check out this article.
Where Can I Find Spanish Accent Marks?
Where are accent marks used in Spanish? They’re used for several reasons. Read on to find out more about where you’ll find Spanish accent marks.
Word Stress
The first, and most obvious, use of Spanish accent marks is to indicate where the stress falls in a word. It’s important to make an effort to properly pronounce the word, taking into account its accent marks. Ignoring accent marks and word stress in Spanish is not only incorrect, but it can also lead to misunderstandings with other Spanish speakers.
Verbs and Tenses
Spanish accent marks also help us identify what tense is being used in a sentence. Remember, it’s not the same to say:
as it is to say:
As you can see, the two sentences are nearly identical. The only thing that was added was a teeny-tiny, yet oh-so-critical, ´ !
Similar Words
There are multiple words in Spanish that are spelled identically—apart from the tilde. Let’s take a look at a few of these words:
These are just a few of the examples of nearly identical words. Can you think of any others?
This section has been a brief overview of where to find Spanish accent marks on words. Eager to learn more? Check out this article.
As you can see, Spanish accent marks are important. Leaving one out deliberately would be like making a spelling mistake on purpose! Make sure to learn where accent marks go as you learn your vocabulary and grammar. Sure, they can be hard to memorize, but learning them from the get-go will make things easier on you in the future!
Accent marks and names: Because English doesn't have written accents, Spanish names are often written without an accent in the English-speaking world. For some people, this can be offensive, or at the very least annoying. In fact, Major League Baseball sponsored a campaign called Ponle Acento(Put the Accent on It), encouraging teams to respect their players’ names and put the proper accents on their jerseys.
While some may think that accent marks are trivial little lines, the reality is that for many, the accent in their name is an important part of their identity.
Motivated to ponle acento? Learn loads more with the following articles:
