How Do You Spell DIERESIS?

Pronunciation: [di͡əɹˈiːsɪs] (IPA)

The word "dieresis" is pronounced /daɪˈɛrəsɪs/ and refers to the two dots placed over a vowel to indicate that it should be pronounced separately from the preceding vowel. The word itself is derived from the Greek word "diairesis", which means "division". Interestingly, the spelling of "dieresis" is a bit unusual as it features the letter "i" before "e" even though the typical English spelling rule would dictate otherwise. Regardless of this quirk, understanding the correct spelling is important for communicating effectively in writing.

DIERESIS Meaning and Definition

1. Dieresis, also known as a diaeresis, refers to a diacritical mark in the form of two dots (¨) placed over a vowel, typically indicating that it should be pronounced as a separate syllable rather than being combined with another vowel in a diphthong or a digraph.

   The purpose of the dieresis is to indicate that a vowel should be pronounced with its own distinct sound, rather than blending with adjacent vowels as a single sound. When a dieresis is placed over a vowel, it signals that it should be pronounced as an independent syllable. This is particularly relevant in situations where two adjacent vowels would normally create a diphthong or digraph, such as in words like naïve or coöperate.

   The dieresis mark is often found in various languages, including English, French, German, and Dutch, whereby its exact pronunciation and usage may vary slightly across different linguistic contexts. In English, it is primarily used to separate adjacent vowels in certain loanwords or in borrowed names, especially from French. However, the dieresis is not widely used in everyday English vocabulary, making its appearance relatively infrequent in contemporary writing.

   Overall, the dieresis serves as a visual aid, aiding in accurate pronunciation by indicating that a vowel should be enunciated distinctly as a separate syllable rather than forming a diphthong or digraph.

Common Misspellings for DIERESIS

• diocesis
• disress
• deress
• dieseses
• diress
• daivesia
• diearesis
• dieresix
• diereasis
• tieresis
• dieresys
• diegesus
• deressis
• Diedreik
• diforosis

Etymology of DIERESIS

The word "dieresis" originates from the Greek term "diērēsis" (διαίρεσις), which means "dividing" or "separation". This term is derived from the verb "diarein" (διαρείν), meaning "to divide" or "to separate". In English, "dieresis" refers to a phonetic mark (¨) placed over a vowel to indicate that it is pronounced separately from a preceding vowel, and not as part of a diphthong or a digraph.

Similar spelling words for DIERESIS

• tarsus,
• tresis,
• cross-dresses,
• diaerses,
• terraces,
• tarsis,
• River-terraces,
• tarcisio,
• Torsos,
• diarises,
• Terezsa,
• darcis,
• Diaereses,
• TREZS,
• tyriasis,
• towarzysz,
• tresus,
• head-dresses,
• tresses,
• terraceous,
• trezes,
• out-of-doorses,
• leaf-traces,
• tereza's,
• tierces,
• -trices,
• TRSOS,
• traceuse,
• TOURSAES,
• tarsius,
• ladies'-tresses,
• darcys,
• diæresis,
• tiresias,
• trioses,
• trezise,
• triecious,
• top-dresses,
• drices,
• Darsis,
• trices,
• diaeresis,
• dresses,
• tricia's,
• trasses,
• darzis,
• drusus,
• Tarseus,
• duresses,
• druses,
• Trisis,
• durzis,
• dis-tresses,
• daresays,
• un-dresses,
• tarsias,
• Tyreusis,
• tarses,
• dorizes,
• tercios,
• diaresis,
• teresa's,
• torso's,
• turcios,
• tarrases,
• Torosus,
• Terrazas,
• Trusses,
• tirasses,
• drowses,
• re-dresses,
• terrazzos,
• torses,
• terzis,
• terrasses,
• dorses,
• darcies,
• Tricious,
• traces,
• tyrosis,
• re-traces,
• diuresis,
• tracys,
• Diereses,
• dorises,
• turisas,
• trousseaus,
• terces,
• drowsies,
• trioecious,
• tracy's,
• over-dresses,
• teiresias,
• derrises,
• drosses,
• tauruses,
• terrases,
• diureses,
• Teresis,
• trouses,
• druzes,
• truces,
• lady's-tresses,
• diarizes.

Plural form of DIERESIS is DIERESES