betonen

Betonen is a verb used in both Dutch and German to mean to emphasize, stress, or highlight something in speech, writing, or other forms of communication. It can refer to giving greater prominence to a word or a point in a sentence, to the prosodic stressing of a syllable in pronunciation, or to drawing attention to an idea in a text. In linguistics and rhetoric, betonen denotes placing emphasis on a particular element to indicate its importance or contrast with other parts of the message.

Etymology and usage differ somewhat by language. In German, betonen is an inseparable verb formed with the prefix be- and a base related to tone or sound; it is a regular weak verb. Its conjugation follows the standard pattern: ich betone, du betonst, er betont; das Partizip II is betont. In Dutch, betonen is also a standard verb and is commonly used to express emphasis, though speakers often use synonyms such as benadrukken or accentueren, depending on the context. In both languages, betonen can apply to spoken discourse, written text, or musical and rhetorical contexts where emphasis is intended.

In practice, betonen is used to indicate that a feature deserves special attention, whether by increasing vocal emphasis, highlighting a term in writing, or signaling contrast with other parts of a statement. The term is widely understood in linguistic and communicative discussions, alongside related notions such as accent, emphasis, stress, and highlighting. Related verbs in German include hervorheben and unterstreichen, while Dutch offers benadrukken and accentueren as common equivalents.