Esdrújulas

Esdrújulas are a category of Spanish words defined by their stress pattern. In Spanish, the accent or stress falls on the antepenultimate syllable, meaning the third to last syllable from the end of the word. This is a characteristic feature that distinguishes esdrújulas from words with stress on the penultimate (llanas) or last (agudas) syllables.

The primary rule for identifying an esdrújula is its pronunciation. However, in written Spanish, esdrújulas are almost always marked with an acute accent (tilde) on the stressed vowel, regardless of whether the word ends in a consonant, an 'n', or an 's'. This written accent serves as a clear visual cue for speakers and learners. Examples include "música" (mu-si-ca), "teléfono" (te-lé-fo-no), and "pájaro" (pá-ja-ro).

All esdrújulas in Spanish are accented. This is a significant orthographic rule. Unlike other word types which have more complex accentuation rules based on their ending, the written accent on esdrújulas is consistent. This makes them relatively straightforward to identify and pronounce correctly once the rule is understood. Learning to recognize esdrújulas is an important step in mastering Spanish pronunciation and spelling.