What is a diacritical mark? A diacritical mark, also known as a diacritic, refers to any mark, shape, stroke, or sign added or attached to a letter for a particular reason. The specific reason behind the usage of a particular diacritical mark will depend on the mark itself and, often, which language it is used in.
Acute accent (é)
Examples of acute accents
- café
- purée
- flambé
Grave accent (è)
Examples of grave accents
- déjà vu
- crème de la crème
- pièce de résistance
Cedilla (ç)
Examples of cedilla
- façade (facade)
- François (A French male first name)
- çay (“tea” in Turkish)
Circumflex (ê)
Examples of circumflex
- crème brûlée
- Côte d’Ivoire
Diaeresis/umlaut (ë)
Examples of diaeresis
- naïve (naive)
- Noël (“Christmas” in French)
Tilde (ñ)
Examples of tilde
- piñata
- mañana
- São Paulo, Brazil
Ligature (æ)
Examples of ligatures
- encyclopædia (a stylistic alternative spelling of the British English encyclopaedia)
