1. Pronunciation:
* Acute accent (é): Indicates that the letter "e" is pronounced as a long "e" sound (like "ay" in "say").
* Example: "féte" (pronounced "feht")
* Grave accent (è): Indicates that the letter "e" is pronounced as a short "e" sound (like "eh" in "bed").
* Example: "père" (pronounced "pehr")
* Circumflex accent (ê): Indicates that the letter "e" used to be followed by an "s" in older French, but the "s" has been dropped. It affects pronunciation slightly, but not drastically.
* Example: "tête" (pronounced "teht")
* Tilde accent (ñ): Used over the letter "n" when it is followed by a "g" and is pronounced as a "ny" sound.
* Example: "espagnol" (pronounced "es-pan-yol")
* Diaeresis (¨): Indicates that the letter "e" is pronounced separately from the preceding vowel.
* Example: "naïf" (pronounced "na-eef")
2. Distinguishing Words:
* Accents can differentiate between words with similar spellings but different meanings:
* "à" (to, at) vs. "a" (has)
* "où" (where) vs. "ou" (or)
* "sûr" (sure) vs. "sur" (on)
* "dû" (due) vs. "du" (of the)
3. Special Cases:
* Cedilla (ç): Placed under the letter "c" when followed by an "a," "o," or "u" to indicate that it is pronounced as a "s" sound instead of a "k" sound.
* Example: "garçon" (pronounced "gar-son")
* Trema (¨): Not technically an accent, but it's often mentioned with them. It indicates that the letter "e" after a vowel should be pronounced separately, as mentioned above.
In summary, accents in French writing are essential for accurate pronunciation and to distinguish between words that share similar spellings.