Accent Marks & Spelling Rules

Introduction

Spanish accent marks (tildes) aren't decorative — they follow strict, logical rules. Once you learn the system, you can correctly accent any word. Spanish spelling is also highly phonetic: unlike English, words are almost always spelled exactly as they sound.

The Stress Rules

Every Spanish word has one stressed syllable. Where the stress falls depends on the word's ending:

Words ending in a vowel, -n, or -s → stress the second-to-last syllable

• ca-SA (house)
• ha-BLAN (they speak)
• li-BROS (books)

These are called palabras llanas (or graves).

Words ending in a consonant (except -n, -s) → stress the last syllable

• ha-BLAR (to speak)
• ciu-DAD (city)
• co-MER (to eat)

These are called palabras agudas.

When to Write an Accent Mark

Write an accent mark only when a word breaks its expected pattern:

Agudas (last syllable stress) — accent if ending in vowel, -n, or -s

• café (ka-FE) — ends in vowel but stress is on last syllable → accent
• también (tam-BIEN) — ends in -n but stress is last → accent
• autobús — ends in -s but stress is last → accent

Llanas (second-to-last stress) — accent if ending in consonant (except -n, -s)

• árbol (AR-bol) — ends in -l, stress is second-to-last → accent
• lápiz (LA-piz) — ends in -z → accent
• difícil — ends in -l → accent

Esdrújulas (third-to-last stress) — ALWAYS get an accent

• música (MU-si-ca)
• teléfono (te-LE-fo-no)
• rápido (RA-pi-do)
• médico (ME-di-co)

Simple summary: If the stress follows the default rules, no accent is needed. If it breaks the rules, add an accent.

Accent Marks That Distinguish Meaning

Some small words have accents purely to distinguish them from identical-looking words:

Interrogative Accents

Question words get accents when used as questions (direct or indirect):

• ¿Qué quieres? — What do you want?
• No sé dónde está. — I don't know where it is.
• Dime cuándo llegas. — Tell me when you arrive.

Without a question: El libro que leí. (The book that I read.) — no accent.

Spelling Rules for Sounds

The C / Z / S system

• ca, co, cu → /k/ sound: casa, comer, Cuba
• ce, ci → /s/ or /θ/ sound: cena, cinco
• za, zo, zu → /s/ or /θ/ sound: zapato, zona, azul
• que, qui → /k/ sound (u is silent): queso, aquí

In Spain: ce/ci and za/zo/zu are pronounced /θ/ (like English "th"). In Latin America: /s/.

The G / J system

• ga, go, gu → hard /g/: gato, gol, gusto
• ge, gi → /x/ (like "h"): gente, girar
• gue, gui → hard /g/ (u is silent): guerra, guitarra
• güe, güi → /gw/ (u is pronounced): bilingüe, pingüino
• ja, jo, ju → /x/: jardín, joven, jugar
• je, ji → /x/: jefe, jirafa (same sound as ge/gi)

The diaeresis (¨)

The two dots over ü tell you to pronounce the u: bilingüe, pingüino.

Practice