CLASE 3. Stres marker: reading and writing. Gramática

Los diptongos – Diphthongs

Diphthong is a pair of vowels pronounced as one syllable; while one of the diphthong’s vowels is pronounced as a semivowel. It means that, for example, the word bueno is composed not of three syllables bu-e-no, but of two, bwe-no. There are diphthongs in English (high, cow), French (moi), and German (kleine). In Spanish, diphthongs are produced by the vowels i, u, which are pronounced as [j], [w], respectively:

bueno – [´bwe-no]
tiene – [´tje-ne]
oigo – [`oj-go]
euro – [`ew-ro]

If i, u go together, the first one produces a diphthong:

viudo – [´bju-do]
cuido – [´kwi-do]

To represent the sound combination [kw], the letters cu are used:

cuarto – [´kwarto]
cuesta – [‘kwesta]

Do not forget that qu is read as [k] and is only present in the combinations que, qui.

To reflect the sound combination [gwe], [gwi] we must use güe, güi:

lingüista – [lin´gwista]

How to break a diphthong

If a diphthong has to be read as two vowels, each of them producing a syllable, the diphthong-forming vowel (i or u) is marked with an accent mark. Compare:

secretaria – [se-kre-´ta-rja]
secretaría – [se-kre-ta-´ri-a]

Remember that the accent can be placed on the strong vowel of a diphthong (a, e or o), in this case the diphthong remains:

entráis – [ent-´rais]

Stressed syllables

If the word ends with a vowel, –n or –s, the stress is on the penultimate syllable. Words with the penultimate syllable stressed are called llanas and they form the majority:

metro [‘me–tro]
canon [‘ca–non]
amigos [a–‘mi–gos]

If the word ends with a consonant, except –n, –s, the stress is on the last syllable. Such words are called agudas:

hotel [o–‘tel]
tractor [trac–‘tor]

If the word has an accent mark (la tilde), it means the stress is on the marked syllable. Accent mark is placed in the words that do not follow the reading rule, and the words where the stress in on the antepenultimate syllable. Such words are called esdrújulas:

crédito [‘cre–di–to]
analgésico [a–nal–‘xe–si–co]

The stress can radically change the meaning of the word, compare:

hablo – I speak
habló – she spoke
seria – serious
sería – it would be

That is why it is so important to place the accent mark correctly in Spanish.

The stress mark

The stress should be marked with ` (la tilde) if the reading rule is not followed, in particular:

• If the word ends with a vowel, –n, –s, and the stress is on the last syllable:

  hablé
  avión
  francés

  The nouns ending with –n, usually have an accent mark:

  jarrón, estación,…

• If the word ends with a consonant (except –n, –s), and the stress is on the penultimate syllable:

  mástil
  álbum

• Always when the stress is on the antepenultimate syllable:

  Pacífico
  pánico

• To break a diphthong:

  María [Ma-`ri-a]
  continúo [con-ti-`nu-o]

• Question words in questions and exclamations always bear an accent mark:

  ¿Dónde estás? – Where are you?

¡OJO! Accent mark can appear or, on the contrary, disappear in plural forms:

joven – jóvenes
inglés – ingleses
francés – franceses