ISA-5A-Diphthong Explanation and Practice

Definiciones:
weak vowels: u i
strong vowels: e a o
diphthong: combination of a weak vowel and a strong vowel
ui: diphthong with i being strong vowel

Counting syllables in combinations of vowels:

diphthong = one syllable
two strong vowels (hiato) = two syllables
broken diphthong (hiato) = two syllables

Rules of the written accent:

1. Normal words do not need written accents.

2. Any word that ends in an n, s or vowel is normal if its stress falls on the 2nd to last
syllable.
3. Any word that ends in a consonant other than n or s is normal if its stress falls on the last
syllable.
4. Any word that does not fulfill these requirements needs to have a written accent.
5. ¡OJO! BREAKING A DIPHTHONG TRUMPS THE RULES ABOVE.

Steps for dealing with diphthongs:

1. Does the word contain a potential diphthong?

yes: go to step 2
no: skip to step 4

2. Is the stress of the word found within a potential diphthong?

yes: go to step 3
no: it is a diphthong, count it as one syllable and skip to step 4

3. Is the stress over the weak vowel?

yes: break the diphthong into two syllables by adding an accent over the weak
vowel. You do not need to go on to the next step.
no: it is a diphthong worth one syllable. Go on to step 4.

4. Follow the regular rules of the written accent above.

Ejercicio: ¿Necesitan las siguientes palabras un acento escrito?

1. c a j u e l a 31. e s c r i b i o s
2. p e l e a 32. m i r a o s
3. c a i d o 33. t r u e n o s
4. g r a d u a l 34. i n g e n i e r i a
5. d e c e n i o 35. i n g e n i o s o
6. v i d r i o s o 36. i n g e n u o (naive)
7. c a m p e o n 37. i n g e n u i d a d (naivety)
8. t i r o t e o 38. h o s p i t a l a r i o
9. t i t u b e a n t e (hesitant) 39. h o m o g e n e o
10. m i n u e (minuet) 40. h i r v i e n t e
11. t i r o i d e s 41. h i p n o t e r a p e u t a (hypnotherapist)
12. e n v u e l t o 42. c i e n c i a
13. n e u t r o 43. c h u e c o
14. n e u r o t i c o 44. c h o l g u a n
15. n e r v i o 45. c a u s t i c o
16. m i l p i e s (millipede) 46. g u a r d i a
17. n a c i m i e n t o 47. c o n s e c u e n c i a
18. m u t u o 48. v e h i c u l o
19. m u e r g a n o (mean brute) 49. m a y o r i a
20. m o l e s t i a 50. n i c a r a g ü e n s e
21. m i e n t e 51. p a i s e s
22. m i c r o b i o l o g o 52. d e c i s i o n e s
23. m e r i t o c r a c i a 53. a n e s t e s i o l o g o
24. j a m a i c a n o 54. s a t i s f a c c i o n
25. i r r i g a c i o n 55. s a t i s f a c t o r i o
26. i o t a 56. s o c i a l
27. i o n i c o 57. d e s p u e s
28. i n s t a n t a n e o 58. c o n t i n u a n
29. i n s t a n c i a 59. g u a r d a e s p a l d a
30. i n q u i e t u d