How Do You Spell CIRCUMFLEX ACCENT?

Pronunciation: [sˈɜːkəmflˌɛks ˈaksənt] (IPA)

The spelling of "circumflex accent" may seem intimidating, but its pronunciation is actually fairly straightforward. The IPA phonetic transcription of this word is /ˈsɜː.kəm.flɛks ˈæk.sənt/. The first part, "circumflex," is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable, and the "u" is pronounced like "er." The second part, "accent," is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, and the "c" is pronounced like an "s." Overall, the word refers to a diacritical mark (^) used in French and other languages to indicate changes in pronunciation.

Meaning and Definition
Common Misspellings
Etymology
Plural
Basic Check Advanced Check

CIRCUMFLEX ACCENT Meaning and Definition

  1. A circumflex accent, also known as a circumflex, is a diacritical mark that is placed above a vowel in certain languages. It is represented by a small upward-pointing curved line (^) situated in the middle of the vowel. The primary purpose of this accent is to indicate a change in pronunciation or to distinguish between words that would otherwise be homonyms.

    In terms of pronunciation, the circumflex accent alters the sound of the vowel it is placed upon, often lengthening or changing the tone. It can indicate a rising or falling pitch in certain tonal languages. For example, in French, the circumflex accent can change the pronunciation of a vowel, such as ê, which has an open mid-front pronunciation. It can also modify the stress pattern or indicate a contraction or fusion of two vowels.

    In addition to its role in phonetics, the circumflex accent can serve a morphological function in certain languages. For instance, in Portuguese, it can mark the contraction of two consecutive vowels, as seen in the word "você" (you), where the circumflex replaces the omitted "o" in the original form "vossa mercê."

    Overall, the circumflex accent is an important diacritical mark utilized in various languages to indicate pronunciation changes, tonal variations, stress patterns, and morphological transformations.

Common Misspellings for CIRCUMFLEX ACCENT

  • xircumflex accent
  • vircumflex accent
  • fircumflex accent
  • dircumflex accent
  • curcumflex accent
  • cjrcumflex accent
  • ckrcumflex accent
  • corcumflex accent
  • c9rcumflex accent
  • c8rcumflex accent
  • ciecumflex accent
  • cidcumflex accent
  • cifcumflex accent
  • citcumflex accent
  • ci5cumflex accent
  • ci4cumflex accent
  • cirxumflex accent
  • cirvumflex accent
  • cirfumflex accent
  • cirdumflex accent

Etymology of CIRCUMFLEX ACCENT

The word "circumflex" is derived from the Latin word "circumflexus", which means "bent around" or "folded around". It is a combination of the prefix "circum", meaning "around", and the verb "flectere", meaning "to bend".

The term "accent" comes from the Latin word "accentus", which refers to the tone or stress placed on a syllable in pronunciation.

Therefore, the etymology of "circumflex accent" refers to the accent mark that is placed above certain vowels in various languages, indicating a change in pronunciation or stress pattern and visually resembling a bend or fold around the vowel.

Plural form of CIRCUMFLEX ACCENT is CIRCUMFLEX ACCENTS

Infographic

Correct spelling for circumflex accent
Add the infographic to your website: