Spanish words

Spanish words are classified into 4 categories, aguda, grave, esdrújula and sobresdrújula, depending on where the words are stressed.

A written accent indicates where a word is stressed; however, not all words have 21521g69v the written accent. Therefore, the following rules will be helpful.

AGUDA

Agudas are stressed in the last syllable. All words that do not have a written accent and end in a consonant other n or s, the stress is on the last syllable.

azul/ blue avestruz/ ostrich

Agudas are graphically accentuated only if the words DO end in n, s or a vowel.

ratón/ mouse interés/ interest acné/ acne

GRAVE

Graves are stressed in the second to the last (penultimate) syllable. All words that do NOT have a written accent and end in n, s or a vowel, the stress is on the penultimate syllable.

mono/monkey ave/bird pato/duck

Graves are graphically accentuated only if the words do NOT end in n, s or a vowels. Note that graves have opposite rules to agudas.

lápiz/ pencil difícil/ difficult útil/useful

ESDRÚJULA

Esdrújulas are stressed in the third from last (antepenultimate) syllable. They are always graphically accentuated.

rápido/ quick pájaro/ bird América/ America

SOBRESDRÚJULA

Sobresdrújulas are stressed in the fourth, fifth, sixth, etc. from last syllable. They are always graphically accentuated. Generally, sobresdrújulas are adverbs, which end in mente.

rápidamente/ quickly fácilmente/ easily