Pronunciation

/ˈæksənt/

Definitions

• Noun:
  • A manner of pronunciation peculiar to a particular individual, location, or nation; a distinctive way of speaking. For example: “Her accent immediately revealed that she was from the south.”
  • The emphasis or modulation of syllables or words when speaking, especially in terms of loudness or pitch. For example: “The accent on the last syllable is crucial for correct pronunciation.”
  • A symbol (such as an apostrophe or grave mark) used to indicate stress or pronunciation in a word. For example: “The word ‘résumé’ has an accent on the second ’e’.”
• Verb:
  • To pronounce with a particular emphasis or modulation. For example: “She accents her words carefully to convey her emotions.”
  • To emphasize or give prominence to (a part of something), typically by means of visual or musical treatment. For example: “The designer accented the dress with a bright red bow.”

Phrases

• “Put the accent on”: To emphasize or give priority to something. For example: “In this project, we need to put the accent on customer satisfaction.”
• “Lose one’s accent”: To adopt a different accent or neutralize one’s native accent through time or practice. For example: “After living abroad for years, he lost his strong regional accent.”
• “Foreign accent”: Referring to a way of speaking that is characteristic of a non-native speaker. For example: “His foreign accent made it difficult for some people to understand him at first.”

Example Sentences

• Noun: “Despite living in France for years, he never lost his American accent.”
• Verb: “The chef perfectly accented the dish with a hint of lemon zest.”

Synonyms

• Noun:
  • Dialect
  • Inflection
  • Tone
  • Speech pattern
• Verb:
  • Emphasize
  • Stress
  • Highlight
  • Feature