noun
accent
AK-suhnt
noun
1
A distinctive way of pronouncing a language, typical of a region, country, or social group.
"She still has a slight French accent after years of living abroad."
"He could immediately tell from her accent that she was from Yorkshire."
2
A mark placed over a letter to show pronunciation or stress.
"Don't forget the accent over the "e" in café."
3
A detail that stands out and adds emphasis or contrast, especially in design.
"The room used gold as an accent color against the gray walls."
verb
1
To emphasize or draw attention to something.
"The scarf accents the blue in her eyes nicely."
How to Use Accent
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost often refers to a regional or foreign way of pronouncing words, but also covers pronunciation marks and design highlights.
Common pairings
a strong accent
accent mark
accent color
Word Forms
accented past tense, accents plural, accents singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “accent”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She still has a slight French _____ after years of living abroad.
Etymology
From Latin accentus, "song added to speech," from ad- ("to") plus canere ("to sing") — literally a "singing toward" a word, referring to spoken stress.