Stress & Accentuation

Mrs. O. Pacheco

Spanish III-IV

Stress & Accentuation

Dividing SyllablesDivision of Syllables 1-2-3-4-5: 1. Make syllables one consonant first followed by

one vowel. (as much as possible and wherever possible)Examples: (Put more stress on the bold syllable) CA-SA = house

GA-TO = cat TE-LÉ-FO-NO = telephone MA-MÁ = mom GOR-DO = fat A-NO-CHE = last night

2.Only one strong vowel per syllable.STRONG VOWELS:    A    E    O    Í    Ú    WEAK VOWELS:    I    or    U   (without a written

accent mark).Examples: (Put more stress on the bold syllable)

TO-A-LLA = towel A-E-RO-PUER-TO = airport O-SO = bear FE-O = ugly TÍ-O = uncle

NOTE:The letter I or U (without a written accent

mark) can be alone only at the beginning of a word.

Examples: (Put more stress on the bold syllable) U-RU-GUAY = Uruguay I-TA-LIA = Italy U-NI-DO = united I-GUAL = same I-GUA-NA = iguana LOS   ES-TA-DOS   U-NI-DOS = The United States

3. Never separate a diphthong What is a diphthong?

A DIPHTHONG is when you see -- I or U together with any other vowel.

NOTE: I or U must be without a written accent mark. The other vowel may or may not have a written accent mark. Examples: (Put more stress on the bold syllable)

JUAN = John MA-RIO = Mario CA-MIÓN = truck BUE-NO = good PIA-NO = piano AC-CIÓN = action ES-TU-DIAN-TE = student PUER-TA = door

NOTE: Do divide when it is not a diphthong.

When the letter I or U has a written accent mark, it becomes strong.Examples: (Put more stress on the bold

syllable)DÍ-AS = days TÍ-O = uncle MA-RÍ-A = Mary PA-RA-Í-SO = paradise

4. Divide two consonants that are between two vowels.Examples: (Put more stress on the bold syllable)

¿CUÁN-DO? = when ¿DÓN-DE? = where PRIN-CI-PAL = principal CAR-TE-RO = mailman

EXCEPTION: When the letter L or R has a consonant before and a

vowel after, keep them all together in the same syllable.Examples: (Put more stress on the bold syllable)

PRI-MO = cousin INS-TRU-MEN-TO = instrument CLA-SE = class ES-TRE-CHO = narrow DIA-BLO = devil DO-BLA-DI-LLO = hem

Never separate: CH, LL, RR -- They are considered one letter.

Examples: (Put more stress on the bold syllable) CHI-NA = China MU-CHA-CHO = teen boy PE-RRO = dog (m) CA-RRI-TO = little car GA-LLO = rooster A-MA-RI-LLO = yellow

NOTE:Divide these two double consonants: CC & NN.

Examples: (Put more stress on the bold syllable) AC-CIÓN = action IN-NU-ME-RA-BLE = innumerable RE-AC-CIÓN = Reaction IN-NE-CE-SA-RIO = unnecessary

Spanish Rules of Stress For words with a written accent mark:1. If a word has a written accent mark, then put more stress

on the syllable with the written accent mark (á-é-í-ó-ú - only vowels have a written accent mark). 1.Example: Mé-xi-co        Pe-rú             Pa-na-má

For words without a written accent mark:2. If a word ends in a consonant, except N or S, then put

more stress on the last syllable:2.Example: pa-pel          can-tar          ha-blar

3. If a word ends in a vowel, N or S, then put more stress on the next to the last syllable:3.Example: ga-to          ha-blo

Accentuation RulesThere are four categories of multisyllabic words in

Spanish, as far as stress is concerned. A word's stress category has to do with which syllable is tónica.  Palabras llanas are stressed on the next to the last syllable (la

penúltima).  Palabras agudas are stressed on the last syllable (la última). Palabras esdrújulas are stressed on the third to the last syllable (la

antepenúltima).  Palabras sobresdrújulas are stressed on the fourth to the last

syllable. 

Palabras llanas All of the following words are

stressed on the next to last syllable (o la penúltima sílaba).

no - cheár - bolbi - go - tepe - rroca - ba - lloco - ci - na fa - bu - lo - so lib - ro

ac - ci - den - tefi - lo - so - fí - aes - ta - cio - neshi - joscés - pedhue - sosa - ra - pe

Palabras agudas Each of the following words is stressed on the last syllable (o la última sílaba). fri - jol can - tar hab - ló an - dén so - por - tar sen - tí ma - ra - tón re - loj ñan - dú baj - ó sar - tén pin - cel

Palabras esdrújulas All of the follwing words are stressed on the third to the last syllable (o la antepenúltima sílaba). Notice that esdrújulas always have a written accent mark. fan - tás - ti - copa - ra - lí - ti - coén - fa - sises - tú - pi - doslu - ciér - na - gamur - cié - la - goes - drú - ju - lamiér - co - lesri - dí - cu - loan - gé - li - cassín - te - sisa - ná - li - sis

Palabras sobresdrújulas All of the follwing words are stressed on the fourth to the last syllable (¡o la preantepenúltima sílaba!).  Notice that sobresdrújulas always have a written accent mark.Notice also that in each of them the last two syllables are attached pronouns. fu - mán - do - me - laes - cri - bién - do - se - lodi - cién - do - me - lo

THE WRITTEN ACCENT MARKOne-syllable words DO NOT have a written accent mark

unless they are used to distinguish one word from its homonym pair. (si = if; sí = yes)

If a word ends in a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or n or s and it is not llana, put an accent mark over the stressed syllable. 

If a word ends in a consonant (other than n or s) and it is not aguda, put an accent mark over the stressed syllable. 

An accent mark will also be placed over a weak vowel (u or i) in order to break an automatic diphthong.

Words that end in a vowel (or "n" or "s") and are not llanas ha - blóviv - viócan - tésar - téncor - tésfre - ne - símas - ti - cópon - dréisTim - buk - tú

Words that end in a consonant (not "n" or "s") and are not agudas

ár - bolcés - pedchó - ferpós - terdi - fí - cilfá - cil

Breaking natural diphthongs ba - úlrí - oha - cí - aa - únMa - rí - acon - ti - nú - apa - na - de - rí - amí - adú - o

Practice: Divide & mention where are these words stressed.1. Para2. Preguntar3. Todavía4. Colocar5. Marcador6. Carro7. Noviembre8. Once9. Estación10. Entonces11. mañana

12. Pedro13. Papel14. Río15. Computadora16. Televisión17. Costumbre18. Calculadora19. Cartel20. Rosado 21. Falda22. Hipocresía 23. Papelera

Practica: Silabas Tónicas y Acentuación

Click on the link(s) below:http://www.hayrocket.com/cabrillo/cis132/project/accents-

practice.php http://www.editorialteide.com/replay/Flash/

replay.asp?id0=pTKw50Anm2Ok6ODh50lXo3au7OPks7Ei60Sf7JIuu5PS0VFIy1Tf83Id0Q8sb1mq83BgeRJD18Xb01MqgLCn16Qed8Fb3FNRh4CO&IdIdioma=1&id3=3

http://www.editorialteide.com/replay/Flash/replay.asp?id0=yETg83Jwv6Xt0XMq04uHx6je1YYuc1Nr04Co2SRfe8YC3GOriMDp26Rm4AHckNva37kpnBSM4HHk35Wa5ULx50Ann2Pk6OWBq7Mx&IdIdioma=1&id3=3