Questions tagged [diacritics]

Questions regarding glyphs that are added to letters, e.g. the acute accent (´) in résumé or the diaeresis (¨) in naïve.

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Where should one place word division dots in "Schroedinger" (with "oe" instead of "ö")?

According to Merriam-Webster, the 'word division dots' for Schrödinger are placed like this: Schrö·ding·er. However, some sources (mostly older ones), use the spelling Schroedinger, with "oe"...
linguisticturn's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
782 views

What is the symbol connecting the letters "c" and "t" called, and when did it go out of style?

I have become so used to the long 's' that I read it as quickly as if they were the standard short 's', but it took me awhile to stop seeing them as 'f's. Luckily the "ct" connection thing ...
Curious Layman's user avatar
1 vote
4 answers
2k views

What accent can I put on "u" to make it sound like "you"? [closed]

I have a made up name, "Bunar," and I want the u to sound like you, rather than oo. Is there an accent I can put above u to tell readers to pronounce it this way? edit: feel free to explain ...
stackers's user avatar
  • 129
1 vote
0 answers
123 views

How was the è in past-tense verbs pronounced?

How would Shakespeare have pronounced damnèd for example? How about the end of Nurse's Song by Blake: The little ones leapèd, and shoutèd, and laugh'd And all the hills echoèd How would he have ...
minseong's user avatar
  • 3,398
1 vote
0 answers
212 views

Does the letter "é" exist or not in English? [duplicate]

When we write in English, what alphabet should be used to represent all the words of standard English? Are ASCII codes enough to represent all the English words? Say, the word "café" is it ...
serge's user avatar
  • 147
6 votes
1 answer
304 views

What does the grapheme 'm̃' (m with a diacritical tilde) mean in English? Was it in use?

In a historical English book published in 1875, the grapheme 'm̃' (m with a diacritical tilde) is used in the title. Ye parish of Cam̃erwell : a brief account of the parish of Camberwell : its ...
Alex D's user avatar
  • 61
-1 votes
1 answer
78 views

Accent marks on nouns [duplicate]

English does not use accent marks basically. However, some foreign names and nouns (like Dalí, Gaudí, café, fiancé) contain accents symbols. Then, the question is "is it ok to write without ...
Og Amayokoy's user avatar
-2 votes
1 answer
214 views

“She´s happy” vs “She's happy” vs “She’s happy” vs ...?

I’ve always wondered what the correct apostrophe is when using contractions. Should I use She´s happy or She's happy? English´s a universal language. English's a universal language. Why do a lot of ...
F Ramirez's user avatar
32 votes
5 answers
7k views

What is the difference between a dieresis and an umlaut?

In my personal experience, many native speakers of U.S. English are familiar with the term "umlaut" as referring to the double dots above a letter, though they are not generally aware of its ...
M. Justin's user avatar
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-1 votes
1 answer
124 views

Can there be a circonflex on a "w" in Welsh? [closed]

Consider the page Wrexham Glyndŵr University. Why is there a circonflex on the w? Does this exist in Welsh spelling?
Karlo's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
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Pronouncing Diacritics Aloud [closed]

When pronouncing diacritics aloud, how would you say words with a tilde or macron? For example, how would you spell jalapeño and/or Māori? Would you say “n-tilde” and “a-macron”? I assume that’s ...
gredandforge's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
482 views

What is the name of this type of mark?

Is there a name for this mark? It sits below a letter as a means of showing an abbreviation. (In this case, Established abbreviated to Estd.) I've seen it used in the form below in place of an ...
David M's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
507 views

Diacritics or meaning difference for deja vu

Could be trivial but would like to know, what is the difference between déjà vu and deja vu Is it primarily the pronunciation difference or something else?
Jacob's user avatar
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5 votes
4 answers
3k views

"Naïve" yet "naivety"?

I am used to spelling "naïve" thus - "naïve". I am also used to Microsoft Word automatically changing "naive" to "naïve". Hence, I was surprised when it didn't change "naivety" to "naïvety". I then ...
Dog Lover's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
112 views

pronouncing -ó in poetry [duplicate]

Do you guys know how '-ó' is pronounced? Context: The Windhover, Hopkins.       No wonder of it: shéer plód makes plough down sillion Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,       Fall, gall ...
userhello90831's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
540 views

How come in English we don't put symbols above our letters to change how they are pronounced? [duplicate]

How come in English we don't put symbols (things) above our letters to change how they are pronounced? In French for example they have an acute accent ( ´ ) and grave ( ` ) and the cedilla that goes ...
Cassandra Croft's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
132 views

Using diacritics

I'm trying to figure out how to make the word Faro sound like Pharaoh as in the Egyptian Pharaoh instead of Far-Oh. I'm looking into diacritics right now but they are confusing what I'm understanding ...
Joshua's user avatar
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30 votes
6 answers
3k views

Usage of diacritics in loanwords

I was told here that not using diacritics (specifically the cedilla) is bad usage for those who know — I assume — their diacritics. Is that correct? Is garcon a correct spelling, in English, of the ...
user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
2k views

Did Old English have diacritics?

I was learning English, which is my second language, when I came across the methinks word. I went to google to look up its meaning and usage, when to my surprise I saw this description: Old English ...
AsmMan's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
151 views

Should accents be used in French words when used in English? [duplicate]

In essays, or writing in general, is it more acceptable to include or leave out accents in French words (or even natively accented words in general)? For example, would I say The bread was served ...
Brendan B's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
606 views

Was the use of accents in -ed adjectives ever common-place? When were they first used in modern books?

The distinction between the words blessèd (/ˈblɛsəd/) and blessed (/blɛst/) (see Grammarbook) appears to be wearing thin in modern language, possibly due to reduced accent usage and its resultant lack ...
BladorthinTheGrey's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
2k views

List of characters with diacritics accepted in English words [closed]

Some diacritics and special characters (like ligatures) are accepted in Contemporary English: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_terms_with_diacritical_marks Examples of English spellings: ...
Cœur's user avatar
  • 225
6 votes
1 answer
852 views

Why are diacritics used in words that apparently don't need them? Is it some sort of poetic license? [duplicate]

In his poem Spring and Fall, Gerard Manley Hopkins uses diacritics where one would normally not see them. Does anyone know why? Here is the poem: Márgarét, áre you gríeving Over Goldengrove ...
Juan M's user avatar
  • 918
19 votes
2 answers
8k views

What does 'ü' mean in song titles?

In some song titles there is the letter 'ü', which isn't a letter in the English alphabet, but in the German. What does it mean? Is it some sort of emphasis? An example for such a song title would ...
user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
6k views

Are -èd adjectives still usèd words?

The distinction between the words blessèd (/ˈblɛsəd/) and blessed (/blɛst/) (see Grammarbook) appears to be wearing thin in modern language, possibly due to reduced accent usage and its resultant lack ...
BladorthinTheGrey's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
511 views

Is there an equivalent of diaeresis, but for consonants?

I know that diaeresis is used to show that two adjacent vowels are not a diphthong but should be pronounced separately, as in naïve or Zoë. Is there an equivalent mark or format in current ...
Lostinfrance's user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
933 views

"Accentuation signals" in English

Unlike in English speaking countries, here in Brazil it is very common to have names with accents. My own name is an example of it: Túlio. In my case, in letter u we have an accentuation signal ...
Túlio Tomaz's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
867 views

How to mark a stressed vowel in a text?

I write an article containing many Russian names and surnames, and sometimes it is important to specify which vowel is stressed (e.g. to distinguish Baskov from Baskov). In Russian we put an accent ...
Dmitry's user avatar
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1 vote
3 answers
2k views

English regarding the letter i being pronounced as ee

I don't have an answer but I sure have a question. What diacritic or accent is used when the letter i in a christian name (with no vowel either side of it) is supposed to be pronounced ee?
Skellets's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
122 views

Is there a word for the letter that a diacritic is applied to?

If I am speaking about a letter that has a diacritical mark (e.g. 'á'), what word or phrase should I use to reference the base letter (e.g. 'a')? I'm looking for something a little more concise than "...
Hydrothermal's user avatar
14 votes
8 answers
4k views

Why does English omit diacritics on foreign names?

Why does English omit diacritics from foreign names that still use the Latin alphabet? For example, why are the Czech tennis player Tomáš Berdych, the Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbø, or the Polish ...
TallArnie's user avatar
  • 249
46 votes
2 answers
13k views

Where does “ö” fall in alphabetical ordering?

Much to my surprise, I just learned that some English-language documents use the ö character. I need to know, when sorting words in an English-language document, where is ö placed? before A? ...
davidge's user avatar
  • 533
6 votes
7 answers
17k views

How to write Vietnamese names in English correctly? ("Việt Nam" to "Vietnam" or "Viet Nam"?)

Commonly, in writing, the country name in Vietnamese is Việt Nam, in English is Vietnam; its capital city name in Vietnamese is Hà Nội, in English is Hanoi; its largest city name in Vietnamese is ...
Ooker's user avatar
  • 3,086
1 vote
3 answers
7k views

Accent Marks in English

Why doesn't the English language have accent marks? I have been trying to understand the critical differences that are present between the English and Spanish language, however I just can not wrap my ...
user73881's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
174 views

Using diacritics in new-formed words [duplicate]

There is some historical usage of diacritics in English, like naïve, résumé or even façade. I've been once told that these are used to mark a different spelling, and it may be used like in coöperative ...
dtldarek's user avatar
  • 177
5 votes
1 answer
1k views

Why English does not have diacritics to distinguish between words with different meanings and pronunciations

It just occured to me that there are words in English that have two different meanings, two different pronunciations and are written exactly the same. For example "present" can be interpreted as the ...
papanikge's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
1k views

How to cite an author who spells his name inconsistently

I am writing a paper where I will cite several works by the Hungarian mathematician Gábor Szegő. Note that his surname includes the letter o with a double acute accent, NOT a letter o with umlaut ö. ...
Jim Oldfield's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
604 views

Usage of macrons in Latin loanwords

I know that diacritics are often retained in loanwords in formal writing (cf. naïveté), but I haven't seen this done with direct adaptation of Latin words; i.e., per se. In Latin, per sē comes with a ...
Tortoise's user avatar
  • 480
1 vote
1 answer
198 views

Term for misused diacritics

Is there a word which describes intentionally misusing or abusing diacritics, in contexts where they are neither needed nor appropriate, for purely stylistic reasons. For example: I submittéd my ...
p.s.w.g's user avatar
  • 7,509
0 votes
1 answer
3k views

Is the diaeresis legal in “naïve”? [duplicate]

I understand why naïve is spelled with two dots, and that those dots are called a diaeresis. What I do not understand is whether the use of a diaeresis is legal in English; is it? Other than naïve,...
user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
296 views

What would Prof. William Strunk Jr. say about writing saute vs. sauté today? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Diacriticals and non-English letters in anglicized loan words: keep 'em, dump 'em, italicize the words, or what? I have no idea what I’m doing. Catch as catch can. “...
ipso's user avatar
  • 1,810
0 votes
2 answers
7k views

What are the different ways an accent mark can go over the letter A & how are they pronounced? [closed]

I've found specifically these ones: á, à, â, å, ä. I believe they COULD be used in the English language, or root ones such as Celtic & Germanic, but I don't know how they are pronounced. Oh, and ...
Hawc Productions's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
17k views

What do the letters ï and ô mean? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: What is the distinction between “role” and “rôle” [with a circumflex]? What is the significance of the “ô” character in “rôle” in this work? What is the standard rule ...
4 votes
3 answers
62k views

Two dots on the "i" instead of one? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: “Whereäs” as an alternative spelling of “whereas” Is it spelt “naïve” or “naive”? Someone I talked to used two dots in this word: Naïvely I ...
Johannes Schaub - litb's user avatar
30 votes
5 answers
17k views

What's the standard rule for the use of hyphens and diaereses in words like 'reelect', 'reexamine', and 'cooperate'?

I found that diaeresis is used on the word reelection in the following sentence of the article titled “Rational Irrationality” in the New Yorker magazine (April 27). This morning’s news that economic ...
Yoichi Oishi's user avatar
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-1 votes
1 answer
1k views

How can I call these symbols in English? [closed]

I'm a programmer and I wonder how I can call these symbols in English: ~ | ^ `
hungneox's user avatar
  • 117
8 votes
1 answer
1k views

Anglicization of diacritical marks and non-English letters

In my understanding, many European cultures have compensated for the lack of certain characters on keyboards (especially old typewriters) by “anglicizing” some characters. For example, the German ß ...
MPelletier's user avatar
  • 1,056
0 votes
1 answer
4k views

What is the term which encompasses accents, umlauts, etc? [closed]

Is there a term that covers grave and acute accents, umlauts, cedillas, tildes and all other characters that can be added to normal letters. I have come across the word diacritics. But this seems to ...
Urbycoz's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
1k views

What is the significance of the “ô” character in “rôle” in this work?

In this document from 1916, on the last line of the first page is the word rôle. If context matters, the entire sentence is: As might readily be supposed, the control of the lactic acid ...
Flimzy's user avatar
  • 1,425
1 vote
1 answer
261 views

What is the third 'quote' (inverted comma) called? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: What are these symbols called? ~ ` ^ Most of use are familiar with " and ' but what is the third ` (same key as ~ on a standard US keyboard) character called, and how or ...
Unkwntech's user avatar
  • 111