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An umlaut is used when a German vowel is pronounced like a mix of two vowel sounds. In German words, these two dots can also be called an umlaut. Ü- “oo” sound as in m oose or r ule or sh oe A diaeresis is used when the vowel ‘a’ or ‘u’ are pronounced like they are “stretched out”.
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This symbol gives a vowel a long sound.ĭiaeresis (also spelled dieresis, pronounced /dīˈerəsəs/): ä and üĪ diaeresis is two dots (. Macron (pronounced /mā-ˌkrän/): ā, ē, ī, ōĪ macron is a straight line ( − ) that is placed over a vowel. Whenever there is a plain vowel with no marks on it, it is pronounced with a short sound. This is often the hardest sound for a speller to figure out because it can be spelled with any vowel: a, e, i, o, u, or even y. This is a neutral vowel sound, pronounced like “uh,” as in b anan a, circ us, and c ollect.
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One of the most common diacritics is the schwa, which looks like an upside-down e (ə). In this post, we will break down this list of pronunciation symbols so you will become a master in reading diacritical marks! Learning all these symbols may be overwhelming for new spellers. (You can find a complete list of all Merriam-Webster pronunciation symbols at ). In any dictionary entry, the pronunciation symbols will be right next the spelling of the word. A frequently asked question from any aspiring speller is “How do you know the correct pronunciation of a word?” The Merriam-Webster dictionary has a system of pronunciation symbols (also called diacritical marks or diacritics) that will tell you how to pronounce the word.
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