diaeresis
noun
di·aer·e·sis
dī-ˈer-ə-səs 
British also -ˈir-
variants
or dieresis
plural diaereses
dī-ˈer-ə-ˌsēz
British also -ˈir-
1
: a mark ¨ placed over a vowel to indicate that the vowel is pronounced in a separate syllable (as in naïve or Brontë) compare umlaut
2
: the break in a verse caused by the coincidence of the end of a foot with the end of a word
Examples of diaeresis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples include Spanish or French words like jalapeño (tilde), fiancé (acute), très (accent grave), Noël (diaeresis), façade (cedilla) or hôpital (circumflex).
—
Marc Saltzman, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2022
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Marc Saltzman, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2022
Dictionary Entries Near diaeresis
Cite this Entry
“Diaeresis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diaeresis. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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