Diacritical accents in Spanish
Learning Spanish can be exciting, but small details—like diacritical accents—can make a big difference in meaning. If you're an A1-level Spanish learner, you might have noticed words like sí and si and wondered: Why does one have an accent and the other doesn’t?
In this post, we’ll break down diacritical accents (los acentos diacríticos) in Spanish and how they change the meaning of words.
What Are Diacritical Accents?
Diacritical accents are small marks (´) placed over vowels to distinguish between words that are spelled the same but have different meanings.
Common Examples:
Sí vs. Si
Sí (with an accent) means "yes."
¿Quieres café? – Sí, gracias. (Do you want coffee? – Yes, thank you.)
Si (without an accent) means "if."
Si estudias, aprobarás. (If you study, you will pass.)
Tú vs. Tu
Tú (with an accent) means "you" (subject pronoun).
Tú eres mi amigo. (You are my friend.)
Tu (without an accent) means "your" (possessive).
Tu casa es bonita. (Your house is pretty.)
Él vs. El
Él (with an accent) means "he."
Él es profesor. (He is a teacher.)
El (without an accent) means "the" (masculine article).
El libro es interesante. (The book is interesting.)
Why Do These Accents Matter?
Even though these words look similar, their meanings change completely! Using the wrong one can lead to confusion.
Quick Tip:
If the word is a pronoun (tú, él) or means "yes" (sí), it usually has an accent.
If it’s a possessive (tu), conjunction (si), or article (el), it doesn’t.
Practice Exercise
Can you choose the correct word?
🚀 Want to Learn More?
📅 Book a 1-on-1 Spanish Lesson with me! 👉 Click here to schedule!