The Animated Book
of SpanishGrammar Reference

Spanish Stress and Accent Marks

Adapted from The Animated Book of Spanish, an interactive Spanish grammar book.

Every Spanish word has one stressed syllable. Two simple rules tell you where it falls. When a word breaks those rules, it gets a written accent (á, é, í, ó, ú) to show you.
The Spanish stress rules at a glance
Word ends in…Stress on…Example
a vowel, ‑n, or ‑sthe second-to-last syllablecasa
any other consonantthe last syllableciudad
(breaks a rule)the syllable with the accentcafé
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Why stress matters

In English, stressing the wrong syllable just sounds a little off. In Spanish, it can change the word completely. These three are spelled the same apart from the accent, and each means something different:

  • términoterm, end
  • terminoI finish
  • terminóshe finished

Plenty of everyday words are told apart only by where the stress falls:

  • papapotato
    ,
    papádad
  • sabanasavanna
    ,
    sábanabedsheet
  • secretariasecretary
    ,
    secretaríagovernment department

It matters in verbs too. Often, the stress is the only thing that separates the present from the past:

  • habloI speak
    ,
    hablóshe spoke
  • esperoI wait
    ,
    esperóhe waited

Rule 1: ending in a vowel, ‑n, or ‑s

Most Spanish words end in a vowel, ‑n, or ‑s. These are stressed on the second-to-last syllable, with no accent needed. Notice how the stressed syllables all line up:

  • casahouse
  • librobook
  • camisashirt
  • hablanthey speak
  • examenexam
  • martesTuesday

Rule 2: ending in any other consonant

Words ending in any other consonant are stressed on the last syllable. That includes every infinitive:

  • hablarto speak
  • ciudadcity
  • españolSpanish
  • paredwall
  • felizhappy
  • relojwatch

Breaking the rules: the accent mark

When a word's stress doesn't follow the rules, it gets a written accent on the stressed vowel. The accent doesn't change the sound of the vowel. It just tells you where the stress is.

  • caféends in a vowel, but stressed on the last
  • canciónends in ‑n, but stressed on the last
  • árbolends in ‑l, but stressed on the second-to-last
  • lápizends in ‑z, but stressed on the second-to-last
  • músicastressed on the third-to-last

Adding an ending can move the accent

The stress stays in the same place when a word gets longer, but since we added a syllable, the second-to-last calculation changes. That's why accents can appear or disappear. Plurals are the easiest place to see this:

  • canción becomes cancionessongs
    accent dropped
  • inglés becomes inglesesEnglishmen
    accent dropped
  • joven becomes jóvenesyoung people
    accent added
  • examen becomes exámenesexams
    accent added

The same thing happens when pronouns attach to commands or other verb forms:

  • come becomes cómeloeat it
    accent added
  • hablando becomes hablándoletalking to him
    accent added

Accents that tell short words apart

Some one-syllable words don't need an accent for stress, but get one anyway to tell them apart from another word spelled the same way.

  • elthe
    ,
    élhe
  • tuyour
    ,
    túyou
  • mimy
    ,
    míme
  • siif
    ,
    síyes
  • sehimself, herself…
    ,
    séI know
  • teyou (object)
    ,
    tétea
  • masbut (literary)
    ,
    másmore

  • Él tiene el libro.

    He has the book.

  • Tú tienes tu coche.

    You have your car.

  • Sí, si quieres.

    Yes, if you want.

Question words

Words like qué, cómo, dónde, cuándo, quién, cuál, and cuánto take an accent when they ask a question or exclaim. Without the accent, they're connectors, like that or where in the middle of a sentence.

  1. Asking: accent
    ¿Dónde vives?

    Where do you live?

    Connecting: no accent
    La casa donde vivo.

    The house where I live.

  2. Asking: accent
    ¿Cuándo llegas?

    When are you arriving?

    Connecting: no accent
    Cuando llegues, llámame.

    When you arrive, call me.

  3. Asking: accent
    ¿Qué quieres?

    What do you want?

    Connecting: no accent
    Creo que sí.

    I think so.

Accents that split vowels

An i or u next to another vowel usually blends into one syllable with it (Ma·rio, ciu·dad). When the i or u is the stressed one, it gets an accent, which also splits the vowels into separate syllables.

  • Mariotwo syllables: the vowels blend
  • Maríathree syllables: the accent splits them
  • díaday
  • paíscountry
  • ríoriver

Capital letters keep their accents too: Él, Álvaro. See capitalization.

Common mistakes English speakers make

  1. Leaving the accent off a past-tense verb

    Incorrect:Ayer hablo con ella.
    Correct:Ayer habló con ella.

    Hablo means I speak. The past tense habló needs its accent.

  2. Keeping the accent in the plural

    Incorrect:Me gustan tus canciónes.
    Correct:Me gustan tus canciones.

    Canciones follows rule 1, so it doesn't need an accent.

  3. Mixing up tu and tú

    Incorrect:¿Tu vienes?
    Correct:¿Tú vienes?

    Tú (with an accent) is you. Tu is your.

  4. Adding an accent to a connector

    Incorrect:Creo qué sí.
    Correct:Creo que sí.

    Que only takes an accent when it asks or exclaims.

  5. Forgetting the accent three from the end

    Incorrect:Me gusta la musica.
    Correct:Me gusta la música.

    Words stressed on the third-to-last syllable always need an accent.

Questions about accent marks

What are the rules for accent marks in Spanish?

Words ending in a vowel, -n, or -s are stressed on the second-to-last syllable. Words ending in any other consonant are stressed on the last syllable. If a word breaks those rules, it gets a written accent on the stressed vowel: café, canción, árbol. A few short words also take an accent to tell them apart from another word: él vs el.

Do accent marks change pronunciation in Spanish?

They don't change how the vowel sounds. They only show which syllable is stressed. That can change the meaning, though: hablo ("I speak") and habló ("she spoke") are different words.

How do you know which syllable is stressed in Spanish?

If there's a written accent, that's the stressed syllable. If not, look at the last letter: a vowel, -n, or -s means the second-to-last syllable (casa, hablan); any other consonant means the last syllable (ciudad, hablar).

Why does canción lose its accent in the plural?

The stress stays on the same syllable, but canciones ends in -s and is stressed on the second-to-last syllable, which is exactly what the rule predicts. Since it follows the rule, it doesn't need an accent.

How do you type Spanish accents?

On a Mac, press Option + E, then the vowel (á, é, í…). On Windows, switch to a Spanish or US-International keyboard, or use Alt codes. On a phone, press and hold the vowel.

Next upDistinción, seseo, ceceoThe Spain "th": where z and ce/ci sound like th, where they sound like s, and why it isn't a lisp.

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