An accent is a way of pronouncing a language, or emphasis, or a mark over a letter. An account is a report, a bank arrangement or a reckoning. A Scottish accent; a bank account; on account of the rain. Both begin acc- and then go their own ways.
The core difference
- accent — a regional or national way of speaking; stress on a syllable; a mark such as é; a touch of emphasis. A strong accent, the accent is on the first syllable, an accent colour.
- account — a description of events; a record of money; an arrangement with a bank or supplier; importance. An eyewitness account, a savings account, take into account, on account of.
The tell
Accent contains cent, from the Latin for "sing" — the melody of speech. Account contains count — a reckoning. The set phrases are all account's: on account of, take into account, on no account, by all accounts. If it is about how someone sounds, it is accent; if it is about what happened or what is owed, it is account.
In use
- accent — She still has a faint Welsh accent. Put the accent on the second syllable.
- account — He gave a clear account of the evening. The money went into the wrong account.
Common slips
- a French account → a French accent
- take into accent → take into account
Accent is the song in speech; account is the count.
Where the words come from
Accent is from Latin accentus, "song added to speech" — ad- + cantus "singing", a translation of the Greek prosoidia, which also gives prosody. Account is from Old French acont, from conter "to count, to tell" — Latin computare — which is why an account is both a reckoning and a telling.
Frequently asked questions
What does "on account of" mean?
Because of: the match was cancelled on account of the rain.
What is an accent mark?
A sign over or under a letter that changes its sound or stress — the acute in café, the grave in à.
Why does account mean both a story and a bank record?
Both come from counting: a reckoning of money, or a reckoning-up of what happened. French conter means both to count and to tell.