tréma
/tʁe.ma/
The English word 'umlaut' is translated into French as tréma.
In French, tréma is the noun used to refer to the diacritical mark consisting of two dots placed over a vowel.
Meaning: diacritical mark (noun)
Which one should you use?
While English speakers often use the word 'umlaut' to refer to the two dots over a vowel, the correct French term for this diacritical mark is tréma.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun tréma is masculine and is typically used with the definite article le tréma.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʁe.ma/
Did you know?
- The term tréma is derived from the Ancient Greek word τρῆμα, which translates to 'a hole' or 'an aperture'.
- French speakers use the tréma to avoid 'gliding' sounds, which is a different phonetic function than the vowel-shifting 'umlaut' found in German.
- While most people associate the tréma with the vowels 'i' and 'e', it can also appear over the letter 'u'. This is common in certain loanwords or names to ensure the vowels do not merge.
Examples in context
- Il y a un tréma sur le 'i'.There is a tréma on the 'i'.
- N'oublie pas le tréma dans ce mot.Don't forget the tréma in this word.
- Le tréma permet de séparer deux voyelles.The tréma allows two vowels to be separated.
Example conversation
Emma is helping Lucas correct a spelling mistake in his notebook.
- LucasEst-ce que j'ai bien écrit ce mot ?Did I write this word correctly?
- EmmaNon, il manque un tréma sur le 'e'.No, a tréma is missing on the 'e'.
- LucasAh, je ne l'avais pas vu.Ah, I didn't see it.
- EmmaC'est important pour la prononciation.It is important for the pronunciation.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “umlaut” translations and entries tréma, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tréma, CC BY-SA 4.0.
