ACCENT

ACCENT: (1) A recognizable manner of pronouncing words--often associated with a class, caste, ethnic group, or geographic region. Thus, Americans might be able to discern a Boston accent or a Texas accent by sound alone, or they might place a foreign speaker's origin by noting a French or Russian accent. (2) The amount of stress given to a syllable--an important component of meter. (3) Any diacritical mark. Click here to view diacritical marks.