The Spanish language is 100 percent phonetic: individuals spell the words exactly how they sound. Accent marks, or tildes, show when there is an emphasis on a certain vowel when read. A word that has an accent mark can take on a very different meaning. For example, "esta" means "this." On the other hand, "está" means "it is." Knowing how to write in Spanish with the correct accent marks will help your readers understand the ideas you are trying to convey.

1

Know your syllables. The first step to placing accent marks correctly on Spanish words is knowing how to break a word into syllables. For example, the word "computer" has 3 syllables: com-pu-ter.

You also need to know how to pronounce the word so you can hear which syllable has the most emphasis on it. With the word "computer," the syllable with the most emphasis is the second to last (com-PU-ter).

2

Place an accent mark on a word that ends with an "n" or "s" when the last syllable is said with the most emphasis. The accent will go above the last vowel of the word.

For example, "papel" would not get an accent mark on the "e" even though the last syllable is said with the strongest emphasis. This is because the word ends with the letter "l." However, the word "detrás" does fit the criteria to have an accent mark placed over the "a" because the word ends with an "s."

3

Place an accent mark on a word that does not end with an "n" or "s" when the second to last syllable is said with the most emphasis. The accent will go above the second to last vowel of the word.

For example, "orden," even though the second to last syllable is stressed, will not get an accent mark above the "o" because the word ends with an "n." The word "débil" does fit the criteria to have an accent mark placed over the "e" because the word ends with an "l."

4

Words spoken with the emphasis on the third-to-last syllable always will have an accent mark, no matter what the last letter of the word is. Place the accent mark above the noun in the third to last syllable. Example of words this rule applies to include "magnífico," "católico" or "aéreo."

5

Consider diphthongs. A diphthong is a word in Spanish that has two vowels in it side-by-side, as in "sies" or "cuidad." Accent marks break diphthongs and form separate syllables in a word. For example, the words "día," "maíz" and "río" have an accent mark in them to signify the two vowels are not in the same syllable.