accent
/ak.sɑ̃/
The French word for accent mark is accent.
Which one should you use?
In French, the word 'accent' can refer to both a diacritical mark (like an acute accent) and the way a person speaks (their vocal accent or stress pattern).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of accent is /ak.sɑ̃/ and consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The accent circonflexe (the hat symbol ^) often acts as a historical ghost, marking the spot where an 's' used to exist in Old French. For example, hôpital comes from the Old French hospital.
- While English uses 'accent' primarily for pronunciation, French uses accentuer as a verb meaning both to emphasize a point in a conversation and to physically add a mark to a letter.
- In some French dialects, the placement of an accent on a vowel can change the entire meaning of a word, making the mark as vital as a consonant.
Examples in context
- J'ai oublié de mettre l'accent.I forgot to put in the accent mark.Tatoeba #6615656 by aperitero, translation #6614773 by CarpeLanam
- Avec un accent aigu sur le 'e' et un accent circonflexe sur le 'o' !With an acute accent on the 'e' and a circumflex accent on the 'o'!
- accent aiguacute accent
- accent gravegrave accent
- accent circonflexecircumflex accent
- accent trémadiaeresis/umlaut accent
- Il manque un accent sur ce mot.There is an accent mark missing on this word.
- Où est l'accent sur le 'e'?Where is the accent mark on the 'e'?
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are proofreading a French essay together.
- NathanEst-ce qu'il manque un accent ici ?Is there an accent mark missing here?
- ChloéOui, tu as oublié l'accent sur le 'a'.Yes, you forgot the accent mark on the 'a'.
- NathanMerci, je vais le corriger.Thanks, I will correct it.
- ChloéDe rien, Nathan.You're welcome, Nathan.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry accent, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
