Diacritic May 2026

Indicates stress or a specific vowel sound, as in résumé or café .

⚡ While many English writers omit these marks for speed, keeping them adds a layer of precision and cultural context to your writing.

Indicates a nasalized sound or a "ny" blend, common in jalapeño .

Using a diacritic often signals that a word is a "loanword" from another language (e.g., frappé or açai ).

They distinguish words that look identical, like the verb resume (to start again) vs. the noun résumé (a CV).

They act as a "guide" for the reader, ensuring names like Zoë aren't mispronounced as "Zo".

A —often called an accent mark—is a small glyph added to a letter to change its sound or distinguish it from a similar word. While common in languages like French, Spanish, and German, they also play a subtle but important role in English. 📍 Common Diacritics You See Every Day