One can technically use the accent over any vowel, but just note that overusing them will get old for the reader quickly.

This is most often for poetic purposes, when the writer wants to add emphasis to letters that don’t usually get it.

Occasionally, one may see the acute accent added to words that don’t normally need the extra spice. Think of the acute accent as a dash of spice on the letter it just adds a little extra flavor to these familiar letters. Take these examples spelled out phonetically: The words we’ve used so far should give a good hint: é usually makes an “ay” sound. When in doubt, a quick online or dictionary search can yield the right answer. We’ll explore the meanings of some, but for the most part, one single acute accent mark will do-the other accent marks are often unnecessary.Īnd even if you see two acute accents in a single word, as in “résumé,” it’s often acceptable to simplify to one: “resumé.” You might also see these words with several additional accent marks, such as in “pièce de résistance” or “pâté.” We’ll show you how to add the accent later in this article.

Though that’s technically still correct for many words, the most precise method is to use the accent. You might see these words without the accents, most often for the sake of brevity (or perhaps because the writer didn’t read this article, and therefore didn’t know how to type the symbol).

Though the acute accent appears in many languages for many reasons, it’s most often seen in English for words borrowed from French. Here are a few other words that commonly use é: Though we’re focusing on é for this article, acute accents can appear above any other vowel, so long as they’re necessary. This mark suggests a modified pronunciation of the letter. The little mark above the letter in é is what’s known as an acute accent.

What Is the Difference Between É, È, Ê, and Ë?.

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