How Do You Spell DIAERESIS?

Pronunciation: [dˌa͡ɪəɹəɹˈiːsɪs] (IPA)

Diaeresis is a linguistic term that refers to a symbol placed over a vowel to indicate that it should be pronounced separately from the adjacent vowel. This symbol is usually two dots (¨), and it is frequently used in languages such as German, French, and Greek. The IPA phonetic transcription of diaeresis is /daɪˈɛrəsɪs/, which indicates that the word is pronounced with a long "i" sound at the beginning, followed by a short "e" sound and an emphasis on the second syllable.

DIAERESIS Meaning and Definition

1. Diaeresis is a punctuation mark consisting of two dots placed over a vowel in order to indicate that it should be pronounced as a separate syllable. It is commonly used to specify the pronunciation of a vowel combination that would otherwise form a diphthong or a different sound.

   In linguistics and phonetics, a diaeresis is used to denote the separation of consecutive vowels that do not form a diphthong or merge into a different sound. By placing the dots above the second vowel, the diaeresis indicates that each vowel should be pronounced individually, without blending them together. For instance, in the word "coöperate," the diaeresis over the "o" instructs the reader to pronounce each "o" separately, preserving the distinct syllables of the word.

   The diaeresis is also commonly used in proper nouns, such as in the name "Naïve," where it indicates that both the "i" and the "e" should be pronounced as distinct vowels, rather than forming a diphthong. Additionally, it may be employed in loanwords to retain the original pronunciation or to prevent any ambiguity in understanding.

   Overall, the diaeresis is a diacritical mark that aims to provide clarity in pronunciation by isolating consecutive vowels within a word, highlighting their individual syllable values.

2. Separation, as of one syllable into two; the mark placed over the latter of two vowels to shew they are to be pronounced separately, as mosaic, aerial.

   Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Common Misspellings for DIAERESIS

• siaeresis
• xiaeresis
• ciaeresis
• fiaeresis
• riaeresis
• eiaeresis
• duaeresis
• djaeresis
• dkaeresis
• doaeresis
• d9aeresis
• d8aeresis
• dizeresis
• diseresis
• diweresis
• diearesis
• tiaeresis
• diapadesis
• Diacrysis
• Diacrezis
• diforosis
• Diaboresis

Etymology of DIAERESIS

The word "diaeresis" is derived from the Greek word "diaíresis", which means "division" or "separation". In Greek, "dia" means "through" or "across", and "hairein" means "to take" or "to choose". The term was originally used in the context of grammar and linguistics to refer to the division or separation of two adjacent vowels into separate sounds, usually by adding two dots (¨) or an umlaut (¨) above the second vowel. Over time, the term "diaeresis" also came to be used in other fields such as poetry, music, and medicine.

Similar spelling words for DIAERESIS

• dieresis,
• diuresis.

Plural form of DIAERESIS is DIAERESES