Step 1: COUNTING SYLLABLES and DIPTHONGS
These rules will help you learn where to write in accent marks. It all begins with counting out the syllables in Spanish. Normally each vowel (a,e,i,o,u) designates a separate syllable.

**How many syllables do the following words have?
1. importante        2. hay        3. Universidad       4. hola

There is an exception to that rule.  Sometimes 2 vowels only make 1 syllable…and those vowel pairs are called dipthongs.  A dipthong must have an “i” or a “u” as one of its vowels and it only counts as ONE syllable. The “i” and  the “u” are considered the weaker sounding vowel in the dipthong.  “U” and “I” are weak:  we are so weak, we mooch off of our neighboring vowel’s syllable.

**How many syllables do these words have?
1. vuelve       2. Dios       3. siete     4. cual      5. hacia
 

Step 2:  FINDING THE STRESSED SYLLABLE AND DECIDING IF IT NEEDS AN ACCENT MARK
Now that you can count syllables, you need to decide which is  the stressed or loudest syllable. For example, listen to the following words and decide which syllable is the stressed one. Underline it.

** 1. im/por/tan/te        2. ha/blo       3. fe/liz     4. ha/blar

There are several  PRONUCIATION RULES that can tell you whether or not the STRESSED SYLLABLE needs an accent mark.

Rule #1:  If a word ends in VOWEL, N or S the second to last syllable is NATURALLY the stressed syllable.
1. interesante      2. (hint: dipthong) vuelvo    3. regalo          4. telenovela

Rule #2:  If a word ends in  ANY OTHER LETTER  the last syllable is the stressed  syllable.
   ** How do you pronounce the following words?
1. feliz       2. navidad       3. hablar       4.  español       6. capaz
7. edad    8. fiel

Rule #3:  If the pronunciation of a word breaks rule #1 or rule #2, you WRITE IN THE    ACCENT MARK (you have to k now how a word is pronounced first).
** Which words need accent marks over their stressed syllable. (Accent marks always go over the stressed VOWEL) Say the word out loud. Look back at your rules.
1. proximo    2. americana      3.edad     4. inteligente      5. comer       6. ultimo

Remember:  A dipthong is one syllable, but if the way a word is pronouced breaks up the dipthong into two syllables, an accent mark is needed over the first vowel. How are these words pronounced?

**1. Hacia    2. Hacía    3. Dios    4. Día      5. también

Rule #3 is the only accent mark rule that has to do with pronouncing a word. But there are two more rules for writing in accent marks….

**Where does the accent mark go?
1.¿Que?    2. ¿Por que?   3. ¿Cuando?   4. ¿Cuantos?  5. ¿Quien?  6. ¿Donde?  7. ¡Que bueno!

Rule #5:  Spelling differentiation.
There are a number of little one syllable words in Spanish that have an accent mark to differentiate them from the same little word that does not have the accent mark. The two words are pronounced the same (in other words you don’t scream the word with the accent mark ;-)
** Write down the meanings of the following words:

tu=        mi=         si=         el=        te=          se=           de=
tú=        mí=         sí=         él=        té=          sé=           dé=
 

Escribe los acentos solo cuando sea necesario:
 

1. h a b l a n
2. u l t i m o
3. u n i d a d
4. i m p o r t a n t e
5. ¿C o m o     e s t a s?
6. e l   e s   g u a p o
7. d i a
8. t a m b i e n
9. c a p a z
10.  f i e l
11.  ¡Q u e    d i v e r t i d o!
12.  t e n i a
13.  m e x i c o
14.  m e  x  i c a n o
15.  d i o s
16.   z a p a t e r i a
17.   e d a d
18.   t u    e r e s    s i m p a t i c o
19.   e s    t u   g a t o
20.   J u l i o   e s t u d i o
21.   ¿C u a n t o s    h a y?
22.   t i a
23.   e s   t u   c a f e   p e r o    e s     m i         t e.
24. ¿S i    o   n o?
25.  d e t e r m i n a c i o n