accent

accent

I

ac‧cent¹ /ˈæksənt $ ˈæksent/ noun [countable]1. the way someone pronounces the words of a language, showing which country or which part of a country they come from ⇨ dialect:
    He had a strong Irish accent
2. the accent is on something if the accent is on a particular quality, feeling etc, special importance is given to it:
    accommodation with the accent on comfort
3. the part of a word that you should emphasize when you say it
   SYN  stress
    accent on
    In the word ‘dinner’ the accent is on the first syllable.
4. a written mark used above or below particular letters in some languages to show how to pronounce that letter
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ verbs
   ▪ have an accent The man had a Spanish accent.
   ▪ speak with an accent She spoke with an accent that I couldn’t understand.
   ▪ pick up an accent During his stay in England, he had picked up an English accent.
   ▪ lose your accent (=no longer speak with an accent) After five years in Europe, Ricky had lost his American accent.
   ▪ put on an accent (=deliberately speak with a different accent from your usual one) When mum’s on the phone, she puts on a funny accent.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + accent
   ▪ a strong/broad/thick/pronounced accent (=very noticeable) She spoke with a strong Scottish accent. | a broad Australian accent
   ▪ a slight/faint accent He has a very slight accent.
   ▪ a French/American etc accent I noticed that he had a Spanish accent.
   ▪ a New York/London etc accent The woman had a Chicago accent.
   ▪ a foreign accent I got a call from a man with a foreign accent.
   ▪ a southern/northern accent He spoke with a lovely soft southern accent.
   ▪ a regional accent (=from a particular area of a country) If you have a regional accent, don’t try to hide it.
   ▪ an upper-class/middle-class/working-class accent Sebastian spoke with an upper-class accent.
   ▪ a posh/plummy accent British English informal (=an upper-class accent) a tall man with a posh accent
■ nouns
   ▪ a hint/trace of an accent I could detect the hint of a German accent in her voice.
     

THESAURUS

■ different kinds of language
   ▪ dialect a form of a language that is spoken in one area of a country, with different words, grammar, or pronunciation from other areas: Cantonese is only one of many Chinese dialects. | the local dialect
   ▪ accent the way that someone pronounces words, because of where they were born or live, or their social class: Karen has a strong New Jersey accent. | an upper class accent
   ▪ slang very informal spoken language, used especially by people who belong to a particular group, for example young people or criminals: Teenage slang changes all the time. | ‘Dosh’ is slang for ‘money’.
   ▪ terminology formal the technical words or expressions that are used in a particular subject: musical terminology | Patients are often unfamiliar with medical terminology.
   ▪ jargon especially disapproving words and phrases used in a particular profession or subject and which are difficult for other people to understand: The instructions were written in complicated technical jargon. | ‘Outsourcing’ is business jargon for sending work to people outside a company to do. | The letter was full of legal jargon.

II

ac‧cent² /əkˈsent $ ˈæksent/ verb [transitive]
1. to make something more noticeable so that people will pay attention to it
   SYN  highlight:
    Use make-up to accent your cheekbones and eyes.
2. technical to emphasize a part of a word in speech