hangsúlyjel

A hangsúlyjel, often translated as stress mark or accent mark, is a diacritical mark used in some languages to indicate syllable stress. Its presence and function vary significantly depending on the specific language and its orthography.

In languages like Hungarian, the acute accent (´) over a vowel (e.g., á, é, í, ó, ú, ő, ű) primarily denotes a long vowel sound. While these long vowels often carry stress, the primary function of the acute accent in Hungarian is phonetic length, not solely stress indication.

In other languages, such as Spanish or French, accent marks like the acute accent (´) are explicitly used to show which syllable receives stress. For example, in Spanish, "habló" (he/she spoke) has stress on the final syllable, indicated by the accent. Without it, "hablo" (I speak) has stress on the first syllable. This distinction is crucial for correct pronunciation and meaning.

The specific types of accent marks used include the acute accent (´), grave accent (`), circumflex accent (ˆ), and tilde (~), among others. Their precise placement and phonetic value are determined by the rules of each individual language. Understanding the role of hangsúlyjel is essential for accurate reading and pronunciation in languages that employ it.