Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
diacritical
adjective
/ˌdaɪ.əˈkrɪt.ɪ.kəl/
Definition
A mark added to a letter to indicate a special phonetic value or to distinguish between similar words.
Examples
- The acute accent is a diacritical mark used in languages like French and Spanish.
- In linguistic studies, diacriticals are essential for indicating tone and stress in spoken language.
- Arabic script uses a range of diacriticals to clarify meaning in words that have similar spellings.
Meaning
Diacritical refers to the symbols used in writing that provide additional information about pronunciation or meaning of words.
Synonyms
- Phonetic
- Accent mark
- Punctuation mark
