“O” with an Accent
A written accent mark is placed over the o to help indicate which syllable of the word should be stressed when spoken out loud, to distinguish between tenses and word types, and to separate words which would otherwise be spelled the same.
Ó and Word Stress
One of the many great things about the Spanish language is the use of accent marks. When you come across a new word in Spanish, you will find it easier to pronounce if it has an accent. Placing a tilde over the letter o modifies the pronunciation, indicating which part of the word to stress.
When we pronounce a word that has a tilde over the letter o, we pronounce it with greater emphasis. The accent over the word automóvil(car), for example, is necessary so that we know which syllable to stress. If automóvil didn’t have an accent, a beginner would likely not know to stress the second o.
An accent mark over the o is even more important when it is the only thing that differentiates two words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. For example, cómo(how/what) vs. como(like/as).
Let’s take a look at the various types of words that use an o with a tilde:
Ó and Tenses
One of the most useful purposes of tildes in Spanish is to distinguish between grammatical tenses. For example, by adding a tilde over the o, the verb changes from the present indicative to the preterite. The subject of the verb changes as well.
Let’s take a closer look!
| Without a tilde | Limpio la casa. | I clean the house. |
| With a tilde | Limpió la casa. | He/She cleaned the house. |
Ó and Sentence Types
Additionally, a written accent mark over the o marks the difference between a question and a statement. This is demonstrated in the following examples:
| examples |
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Writing/Typing an Accent Over the O
The tilde over the o is written as a short diagonal line, from the top right to the bottom left.
To type ó on your keyboard, you can copy and paste ó, use the character code Alt + 0243, or learn the keyboard shortcuts on your Mac or PC.
Take a look at how to type ó on your Mac or PC!
On a PC
There are several keyboard shortcuts you can use for Spanish letters and punctuation on your PC. Please note that these shortcuts sometimes only work on newer computers and may only work in Microsoft Office.
If you’re using Office for Windows, use the following shortcut:
- For an ó, press Ctrl + ', then the o.
On a Mac
To get the ó on a Mac, hold down the Option/Alt key (⌥), and press the e key. Then, release both keys and press the o key.
If you write in Spanish often, we recommend going into your settings and adding the US International keyboard. This keyboard layout supports all major Western European languages, and it uses the right Alt key as a modifier for special characters.
Would you like to learn more about accents and word stress in Spanish? Check out these articles!
