Accent marks in Spanish help with pronunciation by indicating which syllable to stress. They distinguish between certain homonyms and are used in question words, demonstrative pronouns, and when separating numerals with "or". The rules for written accents are based on whether the stressed syllable is the next-to-last or last syllable depending on if the word ends in a vowel, n, or s. Exceptions occur when the stress is not on the expected syllable.

1. acentosortográficos accent marks

2. help with pronunciation distinguishing between certain homonyms demonstrative pronouns indicating a question separating numerals acentosortográficosuses

3. If a word ends in a vowel, the letter s, or the letter n, the stress is on the next to last syllable; camino hablan muchachas acentosortográficospronunciation

4. In other words without an accent, the stress is on the last syllable; querer ciudad acentosortográficospronunciation

5. A written accent mark IS required if the situation is not as given in the above two rules, that is, when: acentosortográficospronunciation

6. The word ends in a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or n or s and the stress falls on the last syllable;caminó canción verás acentosortográficospronunciation

7. The word ends in a consonant other than n or s and the stress falls on the next-to-last syllable; mártir cárcel acentosortográficospronunciation

8. The stress falls on any vowel more than two syllables from the end of the word; propósito dándomelo acentosortográficospronunciation

9. Does the word end in a, e, i, o, u, n, or s? “yes” + notstressed on the next-to-the-last syllable = written accent acentosortográficospronunciation

10. Does the word end in a, e, i, o, u, n, or s? “no” + not stressed on the last syllable = written accent acentosortográficospronunciation

11. A vowel may either gain or lose an accent when a word is put into plural or singular. examen (egg-SAW-men) exámenes (eggs-SAH-men-ess canción(kahn-SEEOHN) canciones (kahn-SEEOHN-ess) acentosortográficospronunciation

12. de (of, from); dé(formal command of dar) el (the); él (he) mas(but); más (more) mi (my); mí (me); se (pronoun); sé (1st person, present saber) si (if); sí (yes) solo (single, alone); sólo (only, solely) te (you - as an object); té (tea) tu (your); tú (you) acentosortográficosdistinguishing homonyms

13. demonstrative pronouns (éste, ése, and aquél, this one, that one) generally carry a written accent mark while demonstrative adjectives (este, ese, and aquel, this, that) never do. acentosortográficosdemonstrative pronouns

14. Question words are written with a written accent mark: ¿adónde?to where? ¿dónde?where? ¿cómo?how?, ¿cuál? which? ¿cuándo?when? ¿cuánto(s)? how much, how many? ¿qué?what, how? ¿quién(es)?who, whom? acentosortográficosindicating a question

15. The corresponding relative pronouns or connecting words are not: adondeto where comoas, like, because cualwhich, as cuandowhen cuanto(s) as much, as many dondewhere quewhich, that quienwho, whom acentosortográficosindicating a question

16. ¿Adónde vas? Where are you going? ¿Cuántocuesta? How much does it cost? ¡Quéinteresante! How interesting! No sécómo se llama. I don't know what his/her name is. acentosortográficosindicating a question

17. Cuandovengan, iremos al parque. When they come, we'll go to the park. Digoque no esverdad. I say that it isn't true. La mujer de quienhablases la jefa. The woman you're talking about is the boss. acentosortográficosindicating a question

18. The conjunctiono (meaning "or") in between numerals, it is accented to avoid confusion with the 0(zero). Tengocinco o seisradios I have five or six radios. Tengo5 ó 6 radios I have 5 or 6 radios. acentosortográficosseparating numerals