Spanish Accent Marks That Change Meaning
Vocalyra teaching team · Last updated:
Spanish written accents do more than show where a word is stressed. Sometimes an accent distinguishes two words that sound the same but have different jobs in a sentence: tú means you, while tu means your. These small distinctions appear constantly in messages, emails and beginner exercises. Learn the meaning first, then practise choosing the correct spelling in context.
Tú versus tu: you or your
Tú with an accent is the subject pronoun you: Tú estudias español means You study Spanish. Tu without an accent is the possessive determiner your: Tu libro está aquí means Your book is here. The spoken pronunciation is the same, so context matters. Before writing, ask whether you are referring to the person or describing something that belongs to that person. A useful practice pair is Tú tienes tu teléfono: You have your phone. Both forms belong in one perfectly ordinary sentence.
| With accent | Without accent | Contrast |
|---|---|---|
| tú = you | tu = your | Tú tienes tu libro. |
| él = he | el = the | Él abrió el libro. |
| sí = yes | si = if | Sí, voy si puedo. |
| mí = me (after a preposition) | mi = my | Para mí, mi casa es importante. |
| té = tea | te = you (object pronoun) | Te preparo un té. |
| dé = give (subjunctive/command) | de = of/from | Quiero que me dé un vaso de agua. |
| sé = I know / be! | se = reflexive or impersonal pronoun | Sé que se llama Ana. |
| más = more | mas = but (literary) | Quiero más, mas no tengo dinero. |
Él versus el: he or the
Use él when you mean he: Él trabaja en Madrid. Use el as the masculine singular article: el trabajo, el tren, el profesor. These forms are pronounced alike. In speech, you cannot hear a difference made by the written accent; you identify the meaning from the grammar. You can combine them in Él espera el tren, meaning He is waiting for the train. Note that el within the contraction al or del remains the article, while the pronoun él is written separately: Voy con él, not voy conel.
Sí versus si: yes or if
Sí with an accent is the affirmative answer yes, and it also occurs in expressions such as sí mismo (himself or herself, depending on context). Si without the accent introduces a condition: Si llueve, me quedo en casa means If it rains, I am staying home. Put them together: Sí, voy si tengo tiempo. Other uses of si occur in music as the note B, but the yes versus if contrast is the one beginners need first.
Mí, mi, té, te, sé and se
After a preposition, the stressed pronoun for me is mí: para mí, sin mí, a mí. Without the accent, mi means my: mi amigo. The word té is tea, while te is a pronoun: Te doy un té. Sé can mean I know (from saber), or the affirmative tú command of ser: Sé amable, meaning Be kind. Without the accent, se is the pronoun used in se llama, se vende and many other constructions. Learn each pair in complete sentences rather than as isolated flashcards.
Questions and exclamations keep their accents
Words such as qué, quién, cómo, dónde and cuándo carry a written accent when used interrogatively or exclamatively, including many indirect questions: ¿Dónde vives?, No sé dónde vive, and ¡Qué bonito! As connectors and relatives, the unaccented forms behave differently: Creo que viene, Voy donde quieras and Llámame cuando llegues. This is not a simple rule that every occurrence of como needs an accent. The word's grammatical function decides. The question-word lesson linked below gives a fuller explanation.
- An accent is part of the correct spelling, not optional decoration.
- Tú, él and mí are pronouns; tu, el and mi generally accompany nouns.
- If a sentence contains yes or if, test sí or si.
- In typing, do not remove accents from names or ordinary Spanish words merely because your keyboard is set to English.
- Mas without an accent is a formal or literary word meaning but; everyday Spanish usually uses pero.
Practise with sentences that contain both forms
Write three sentences using each pair and read them aloud. Try Tú tienes tu entrada, Él compró el café, and Sí, iré si me invitas. Then cover the accents and restore them by asking what each word means in the sentence. This is especially effective for learners who know the spoken forms but keep losing marks in writing exercises. Remember that Spanish accents also mark stress in many other words, such as teléfono and sábado, even when they do not distinguish two meanings.
Quick self-check
Choose: (Tú / Tu) hablas francés.
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Tú
Choose: ¿Dónde está (tú / tu) libro?
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tu
Complete: (Él / El) profesor habló con (él / el).
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El profesor habló con él.
Translate: Yes, if you want.
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Sí, si quieres.
Choose: Esto es para (mí / mi).
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mí
Choose: ¿Quieres un (te / té)?
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té
Choose: No (sé / se) dónde está.
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sé
Choose: Ella (sé / se) llama Clara.
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se