Definition

Describing a word, syllable, or letter that does not have a diacritical mark or is pronounced with little to no stress.

Example

In the word 'banana', the second syllable is unaccented.

Conversation

I noticed that some words in English are unaccented when we pronounce them.

Yeah, it can be tricky to know which syllables to stress sometimes.

I think the unaccented ones can change the meaning if we get them wrong.

Definitely! It’s all about getting the rhythm right in speech.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Unaccented → It is formed from "un-" (meaning not) and "accented" (from Latin "accentus", meaning a song or tone). The word "unaccented" means not having an accent or emphasis in pronunciation.

Memory Tip

Think of 'not' ('un-') having a 'tone' or 'song' ('accentus') — that's why unaccented means lacking emphasis in pronunciation.

Visually Confused Words