noun
tilde
Tilde (noun) means a small wavy mark written above a letter to show a change in how it is pronounced.
noun
1
A small wavy mark written above a letter to show a change in how it is pronounced.
"California, like several other states, prohibits the use of diacritical marks or accents on official documents. That means no tilde (~), no accent grave (`), no umlaut (¨) and certainly no cedilla (¸)."
— Tovin Lapan, California birth certificates and accents: O’Connor alright, Ramón and José is not (2015)
2
In Spanish, this mark placed over an n turns it into ñ, as in cañón.
3
In Portuguese, this mark shows a nasal vowel, as in ã and õ, for example in canção.
4
In Vietnamese, another name for the mark dấu ngã, written above a vowel to show a creaky rising tone.
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like tilde.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish tilde, from Latin titulus (“superscript”) or from tildar. Doublet of titer/titre, title, titlo, tittle, and titulus. Compare Portuguese til.
Rhymes for tilde
See all rhymes for tilde →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of tilde?
"tilde" (noun) means a small wavy mark written above a letter to show a change in how it is pronounced.
What are the different meanings of tilde?
"tilde" has 3 main meanings: 1. A small wavy mark written above a letter to show a change in how it is pronounced; 2. In Spanish, this mark placed over an n turns it into ñ, as in cañón; 3. In Portuguese, this mark shows a nasal vowel, as in ã and õ, for example in canção.
