Accentuation in Spanish

What to know about the accent mark in Spanish

Spanish has only one accent mark it is a slanting line that rises from left to

right (/) above a vowel.

Only vowels will have accent marks in Spanish
All words in Spanish have an intonation stress.
When the stress is written on the word we call it an accent mark.
Accent marks help us read words properly (as they are meant to sound)
Whether the accent is written or not depends on the rules of accentuation
that apply.

Syllables in Spanish (slabas)

When we break up words into syllables in Spanish we find that we

have a ratio of one vowel to one consonant that is predominant
throughout most words.
It is unusual to find two consonants together unless they represent
a special sound (like pr, pl, br, bl, cr, ch, cl, fl, fr, ll)
Ejemplos:
mapa
ma / pa
gato
ga / to
gente
gen / te
palabras
pa / la / bras
importante
im / por / tan / te
rboles
r /bo / les
ingles
in / gls
primero
pri / me / ro

According to where the word carries its stress it will be called:

Aguda- stress is in the last syllable of the word

Llana- stress is in the next to last syllable
Esdrjula- stressed in the before the next to last syllable

Syllable order:
Example:

(Before next to last/ next to last/ last)

negocio (ne/ go/ cio)

es llana

Where do we hear the stress?

public (pu/ bli/ c) -if its here we call the word is aguda

publico (pu/ bli/ co) -if its here we call the word is llana

pblico (p/ bli/ co) -if its here we call the word is esdrjula

Accentuation in Spanish
Practice:

Counting syllables (chopping up words):

Splitting words up into syllables
Classifying words: What are the three categories words fall into in Spanish?

Model: trabajo

tra/ba/jo

llana

Find the underlined syllable and choose the word type it belongs to
1. palabras

pa/ la/ bras

2. importancia

im/ por/ tan/ cia

3. rboles

r/ bol/ es

4. grande

gran/ de

5. pequeo

pe/ que/ o

6. cuadrado

cua/ dra/ do

7. zapatera

za/ pa/ te/ r/ a

8. decimal

de/ ci/ mal

9. marrn

ma/ rrn

10. libertad

li/ ber/ tad

The following words are already classified. Check the rules to underline the stressed syllable,
then write in the accent mark if it needs it.
Word

syllabification

classification

1. antes

an/ tes

llana

2. diez

diez

aguda

3. normal

nor/ mal

aguda

4. rapido

ra/ pi/ do

esdrjula

5. zapato

za/ pa/to

llana

6. libreta

li/ bre/ ta

llana

7. ventana

ven/ ta / na

llana

8. decada

de/ ca/ da

esdrjula

Accentuation in Spanish

(Answer Key)- dont copy for students or show until they finish working!

Practice:

Counting syllables (chopping up words):

Splitting words up into syllables
Classifying words: What are the three categories words fall into in Spanish?

Model: trabajo

tra/ba/jo

llana

Find the underlined syllable and choose the word type it belongs to
1. palabras

pa/ la/ bras

llana

2. importancia

im/ por/ tan/ cia

llana

3. rboles

r/ bol/ es

esdrjula

4. grande

gran/ de

llana

5. pequeo

pe/ que/ o

llana

10. cuadrado

cua/ dra/ do

llana

11. zapatera

za/ pa/ te/ r/ a

llana

12. decimal

de/ ci/ mal

aguda

13. marrn

ma/ rrn

aguda

11. libertad

li/ ber/ tad

aguda

The following words will be classified. Underline the stressed syllable, then check the rules to
see if it will have a written accent mark. If it does, make it so.
1. antes

an/ tes

llana

2. diez

diez

aguda

3. normal

nor/ mal

aguda

4. rapido

ra/ pi/ do

esdrjula

5. zapato

za/ pa/to

llana

6. libreta

li/ bre/ ta

llana

7. ventana

ven/ ta / na

llana

8. decada

de/ ca/ da

esdrjula

Accentuation in Spanish
Most words in Spanish are classified as llanas
Most words in Spanish dont have the written accent because they end
in the consonants s, n or a vowel.
But when the llanas that end in an n become plural they will
acquire an accent mark like the following:
exmenes
o examen
imgenes
o imagen
o joven

jvenes
Why is this so?
Other words that are agudas will lose their accent if they become
plural like the following:
o direccin
direcciones

acciones
o accin
o avin

aviones
Why is this so?
Practice:
Some of the nationalities in Spanish will gain or lose their accent according to the
explanation stated above.
This happens when the nationality ends in a
takes an extra
to become plural.

and

Fill in the blanks following the model below.

Ellos son de Francia, son franceses. Pierre naci en Paris, l tambin es francs.
1. Hans es de Alemania. l es

. Carros de alta calidad son alemanes.

2. Suki es de Japn, ella es japonesa. Su hermano Nico es

3. Todos los que somos de

somos americanos.

4. La libra esterlina es la moneda inglesa. Hablas t el

5. Felipe es de

_, l es mexicano.

Decide if the following have an accent, if so, mark it.

Word classification
Word classification
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

capitan
leon
reaccion
poblacion
dragon

capitanes
leones
reacciones
poblaciones
dragones

_?

Accentuation in Spanish

(Answer Key)- dont copy for students or show until they finish working!
Most words in Spanish are classified as llanas
Most words in Spanish dont have the written accent because they end
in the consonants s, n or a vowel.
But when the llanas that end in an n become plural they will
acquire an accent mark like the following:
exmenes
o examen
imgenes
o imagen
o joven

jvenes
Why is this so? Because they become esdrjulas with the extra syllable
Other words that are agudas will lose their accent if they become
plural like the following:
o direccin
direcciones

acciones
o accin
o avin

aviones
Why is this so? Because they become llanas with the extra syllable.
Practice:
Some of the nationalities in Spanish will gain or lose their accent according to the
explanation stated above.
This happens when the nationality ends in a consonant and takes an extra
syllable to become plural.
Fill in the blanks following the model below.
Ellos son de Francia, son franceses. Pierre naci en Paris, l tambin es francs.
6. Hans es de Alemania. l es alemn. Carros de alta calidad son alemanes.
7. Suki es de Japn, ella es japonesa. Su hermano Nico es japons.
8. Todos los que somos de las Amricas somos americanos.
9. La libra esterlina es la moneda inglesa. Hablas t el ingls_?
10. Felipe es de Mxico, l es mexicano.

Decide if the following have an accent, if so, mark it.

Word classification
Word classification
6. capitan
7. leon
8. reaccion
9. poblacion
10. dragon

aguda
aguda
aguda
aguda
aguda

capitanes

llana

leones

llana

reacciones

llana

poblaciones

llana

dragones

llana

Accentuation in Spanish
Reglas de acentuacin:
Although every word has a stress not every word will carry an accent mark. The rules
are written below in Spanish. Can you figure them out?
Translate the sentences to English and fill in the blanks.
Challenge: Fill in the blanks in Spanish as well.
1. Agudas: Si la palabra termina en consonantes n, s o una vocal (a, e, i, o, u) y
la fuerza tnica cae sobre la
slaba.

2. Llanas: Si la palabra termina con consonante que no es n o s, y lleva la fuerza

tnica cae sobre la
slaba.

3. Esdrjulas: La palabra siempre lleva acento escrito si la fuerza tnica cae sobre la
slaba.

Coloca las siguientes palabras en las columnas apropiadas: (Place the words in the
correct columns.)
casa

nmero
rbol

escuela
mircoles

feliz

jardn

edad
azul

esdrjulas

slaba
pjaro

caf
avin

llanas

ltimo
cncer
agudas

1.

1.

1.

2.

2.

2.

3.

3.

3.

4.
5.

4.
5.

4.
5.

Accentuation in Spanish

(Answer Key)- dont copy for students or show until they finish working!
Reglas de acentuacin:
Although every word has a stress not every word will carry an accent mark. The rules
are written below in Spanish. Can you figure them out?
Translate the sentences to English and fill in the blanks.
Challenge: Fill in the blanks in Spanish as well.
4. Agudas: Si la palabra termina en consonantes n, s o una vocal (a, e, i, o, u) y
la fuerza tnica cae sobre la ltima slaba.
Acute: If the Word ends in the consonants n, s or a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) and
the stress is on the _(last)_ syllable.
5. Llanas: Si la palabra termina con consonante que no es n o s, y lleva la fuerza
tnica cae sobre la penltima slaba.
Plain: If the Word ends in a consonant that is not an n or an s, and the stress falls
on the (next to last) syllable.
6. Esdrjulas: La palabra siempre lleva acento escrito si la fuerza tnica cae sobre la
antepenltima slaba.
Gravest: This type of word will always carry a written accent mark if the stress falls
on the syllable that is placed in the (before the next to last ) position.
Coloca las siguientes palabras en las columnas apropiadas: (Place the words in the
correct columns.)
casa

nmero
rbol

escuela
mircoles

feliz

jardn

edad
azul

esdrjulas

slaba
pjaro

caf
avin

llanas

ltimo
cncer
agudas

1. nmero

1. casa

1.jardn

2.slaba

2. rbol

2. edad

3.ltimo

3.escuela

3.caf

4.pjaro
5.mircoles

4.feliz
5.cncer

4.avin
5. azul

Accentuation in Spanish
One of the uses of the accent is also to distinguish similar words that have different usage like
pronouns t and l from the possessive adjective tu and the article el.
Read the following sentences and circle the correct word to use at the end.

1. Me gustan
2.

man.

el

hermana me mira mucho.

Tu

el

3. Ahora es

momento para hablar.

4. Ella dijo que s y

dice que no.

el

5. Pedro quiere que

vayas al cine.

tu

tu

el

me hablas, yo escucho.

tu

no est aqu.

el

tu

6. Es

turno para hacer la tarea.

7. La canasta de frutas es para

8. Cuando
9. Pedro se fue,
10.Este es

libro.

All the question words in Spanish have to have a written accent mark. Read
the following and if the word que is used as a question word mark the
accent on it.
Qu = what; que = that, than, so.
1. Que me dices?
2. l me dijo que no le dijera nada.
3. En que vas a trabajar? Artes y letras o labores manuales?
4. El alma que est vibrando es una brillante.
5. Las plantas que dependen del sol crecen bien durante el verano.
6. Quiero que aprendan bien la leccin.

Challenge: Translate the sentences above into English.

Accentuation in Spanish

(Answer Key)- dont copy for students or show until they finish working!
One of the uses of the accent is also to distinguish similar words that have different usage like
pronouns t and l from the possessive adjective tu and the article el.
Read the following sentences and circle the correct word to use at the end.

1. Me gustan
2.

man.

el

hermana me mira mucho.

Tu

el

3. Ahora es

momento para hablar.

4. Ella dijo que s y

dice que no.

el

5. Pedro quiere que

vayas al cine.

tu

tu

el

me hablas, yo escucho.

tu

no est aqu.

el

tu

6. Es

turno para hacer la tarea.

7. La canasta de frutas es para

8. Cuando
9. Pedro se fue,
11.Este es

libro.

All the question words in Spanish have to have a written accent mark. Read
the following and if the word que is used as a question word mark the
accent on it.
Qu = what; que = that, than, so.
1. Que me dices?
What did you say? / What are you telling me?

2. l me dijo que no le dijera nada.

He told me not to say anything

3. En que vas a trabajar? Artes y letras o labores manuales?

What field will you work in? Arts and literature or manual labor?

4. El alma que est vibrando es una brillante.

The soul that vibrates is brilliant.

5. Las plantas que dependen del sol crecen bien durante el verano.
Plants that need sunlight grow well during summer.

6. Quiero que aprendan bien la leccin.

I want you to learn the lesson well.