Accents and Breathing Marks

Greek uses diacritical marks to indicate stress (which syllable to emphasise) and, historically, aspiration (a breathy "h" sound). Understanding these marks is essential for correct pronunciation and reading.

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The Modern Accent: Tonos (Τόνος)

In Modern Greek, only one accent mark is used: the tonos (΄), which looks like a small acute accent placed above a vowel. It indicates which syllable receives the stress.

Rule	Example	Meaning
Words of 2+ syllables get a tonos	πόλη (PO-lee)	city
The tonos can be on the last, second-to-last, or third-to-last syllable	άνθρωπος (AN-thro-pos)	human
One-syllable words usually have no tonos	και (ke)	and
The tonos is placed above the vowel of the stressed syllable	μουσική (moo-see-KEE)	music

Stress matters! Changing the accent can change the meaning:

  πότε (PO-te) = when?
  ποτέ (po-TE) = never

  νόμος (NO-mos) = law
  νομός (no-MOS) = prefecture / county

Tip: Always pay attention to the accent mark — it is not optional. Greek words can change meaning entirely based on which syllable is stressed.

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