accent
accent — 名詞
1. the recognisable way someone speaks that reveals where they grew up or which soc
口音；腔調
說話時透露出身地或社群的發音方式
the recognisable way someone speaks that reveals where they grew up or which social group they belong to, including their pronunciation and sometimes word choice.
Amara has a soft Irish accent that makes everyone smile when she answers the phone.
Amara 帶著輕柔的愛爾蘭口音，每次接電話都讓人會心一笑。
have + [adjective] + [region] accent
After ten years in Tokyo, Tomás still speaks Japanese with a heavy Spanish accent.
Tomás 在東京住了十年，講日文時還是有很重的西班牙腔。
speak [language] with a [region] accent
The new teacher had a Glasgow accent, so the children leaned forward to catch every word.
新來的老師有格拉斯哥腔，孩子們都往前傾，想聽清楚每個字。
I could tell from her accent that she was from a small town in Texas.
我從她的口音聽得出來，她來自德州的小鎮。
The actor practised a posh British accent for three months before filming began.
那位演員開拍前花了三個月練習上流英國腔。
- pronunciation
broader; refers to how any word is said, not the regional pattern
- dialect
wider in scope — covers vocabulary and grammar, not just sound
- twang
informal; usually a nasal Southern American or country accent
- brogue
specifically an Irish or Scottish rural accent
文法句型
have a [region] accent
speak with a [region] accent
用法筆記
Often paired with adjectives describing region (Irish, French), strength (heavy, slight, thick), or social class (posh, working-class). Distinguish from sense 3 (STRESS): an accent is the overall sound of someone's speech, while stress falls on a single syllable.
常見錯誤
2. a tiny symbol like ´ or ` written just above a letter, signalling that the lette
重音符號
標在字母上方的小符號，提示讀音
a tiny symbol like ´ or ` written just above a letter, signalling that the letter should sound different or carry the stress when read aloud.
The word 'café' takes an accent on the final 'e' to show the vowel is pronounced.
café 這個字最後的 e 上面有重音符號，表示要把那個母音唸出來。
take an accent on + [letter]
Beatriz forgot the accent on 'résumé', and her professor circled it in red ink.
Beatriz 把 résumé 的重音符號漏掉了，教授用紅筆圈了出來。
French uses three main accents: the acute, the grave, and the circumflex.
法文有三種主要的重音符號：銳音符、抑音符和揚抑符。
On a Spanish keyboard, you press a special key before the vowel to add an accent.
用西班牙文鍵盤時，要先按一個特殊鍵，再按母音才能加上重音符號。
- diacritic
more technical; covers any mark added to a letter, including dots and tildes
- accent mark
everyday equivalent; often used interchangeably
文法句型
acute/grave/circumflex accent
用法筆記
Often appears with the named type as a modifier: 'acute accent' (´), 'grave accent' (`), 'circumflex accent' (ˆ). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is a written mark you can see on the page, not a spoken sound.
常見錯誤
3. the extra force or loudness given to one syllable inside a word, to a key word w
重音
唸字、句子或詩句時加強的力道
the extra force or loudness given to one syllable inside a word, to a key word within a spoken sentence, or to a particular beat in poetry or music.
In the word 'photograph', the accent falls on the first syllable, not the second.
photograph 這個字的重音落在第一個音節，不是第二個。
accent falls on [syllable]
Move the accent from 'PHOtograph' to 'phoTOgrapher' and the sound of the word changes completely.
把重音從 PHOtograph 移到 phoTOgrapher，整個字的聲音就完全不同了。
Greek poets placed the accent on every second syllable to create a marching rhythm.
希臘詩人會把重音放在每兩個音節上，營造出行進般的節奏。
Beginners often put the accent on the wrong syllable when they read new words aloud.
初學者唸新單字時常常把重音放錯音節。
文法句型
accent falls on [syllable]
用法筆記
Verbs like 'fall on', 'put on', 'shift', and 'move' commonly govern this sense. Distinguish from sense 4 (MUSIC MARK): sense 3 is the stress itself; sense 4 is the symbol written above a note.
常見錯誤
4. a small symbol written above a note in sheet music, telling the player to hit th
重音記號
樂譜上要求用力彈奏該音的符號
a small symbol written above a note in sheet music, telling the player to hit that note harder than the notes around it.
The composer placed an accent above every downbeat to give the piece a strong march feel.
作曲家在每個強拍上方都加了重音記號，讓整首曲子有強烈的進行曲感。
place an accent above [note]
Watch for the accents on the third beat of each bar, and play those notes with extra force.
注意每小節第三拍上的重音記號，那幾個音要彈得特別用力。
The piano teacher circled every accent in the score so Beatriz would not miss them.
鋼琴老師把樂譜上的每個重音記號都圈起來，免得 Beatriz 漏看。
An accent in jazz often falls on the off-beat, which gives the music its swinging feel.
爵士樂中的重音記號常落在反拍上，這正是搖擺感的來源。
- accent mark
fully interchangeable in music contexts
- stress mark
less common; sometimes used in beginner music books
用法筆記
Found mainly in printed music. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense is the written symbol on the page, while sense 3 is the audible stress that a performer produces.
5. a special focus or weight given to one quality, idea, or part of something, trea
重點；強調
刻意凸顯的重要焦點或特質
a special focus or weight given to one quality, idea, or part of something, treating it as the most important or noticeable feature.
At our school, the accent is on creativity rather than memorising facts for exams.
我們學校的重點放在創造力，而不是死背應付考試。
the accent is on [quality]
The new menu places the accent on fresh local vegetables instead of imported meat.
新菜單把重點放在新鮮的本地蔬菜，而不是進口的肉類。
place the accent on [thing]
Coach Zane put the accent on teamwork during every Monday morning practice.
Zane 教練每週一早上的練習都把重點放在團隊合作。
Their wedding plans had the accent on simplicity, with only twenty close friends invited.
他們的婚禮主打簡單，只邀請了二十位好朋友。
文法句型
the accent is on [noun]
place/put the accent on
用法筆記
Almost always used with prepositional 'on' + noun. The verb is 'put', 'place', or 'be': 'the accent is on quality'. Slightly formal; in everyday speech, 'emphasis' or 'focus' is more common.
常見錯誤
6. a small detail in a design — such as a bright colour, a piece of trim, or a sing
點綴；亮點
讓設計突出的小細節或對比元素
a small detail in a design — such as a bright colour, a piece of trim, or a single object — added to draw the eye and stand out against everything around it.
Amara painted the front door bright red as a cheerful accent against the grey stone wall.
Amara 把大門漆成鮮紅色，讓灰色石牆多了一個明亮的點綴。
as an accent against [background]
A few yellow cushions add a warm accent to the otherwise plain white sofa.
幾個黃色抱枕為原本素白的沙發增添了溫暖的色彩亮點。
add a [colour] accent
The designer used silver buttons as the only metallic accent on the dark blue jacket.
設計師用銀色鈕扣作為這件深藍夾克唯一的金屬點綴。
Small green plants serve as a fresh accent in the otherwise minimalist office.
幾盆小綠植成為這間極簡辦公室裡清新的點綴。
文法句型
[colour/feature] accent
用法筆記
Common in interior design and fashion writing. Often modified by a colour or material word: 'red accent', 'gold accent', 'wooden accent'. Compound 'accent wall' (= a single wall painted a different colour) is very common in home design.
accent — 動詞
1. to make one part of something stand out so that people pay extra attention to it
凸顯；襯托
用對比細節讓某部分更醒目
to make one part of something stand out so that people pay extra attention to it, often by adding a contrasting detail or shape.
The black belt accents Amara's red dress and gives it a more elegant shape.
黑色腰帶襯托出 Amara 的紅洋裝，讓剪裁更顯得優雅。
accent + noun (clothing/design context)
Soft lighting accents the carved wood on the old church doors at sunset.
夕陽下，柔和的光線凸顯出老教堂門上的雕花木紋。
The chef accented the simple soup with a swirl of bright green herb oil.
主廚在那道清淡的湯上淋一圈翠綠的香料油，凸顯整道菜的層次。
Tall mirrors accent the ceiling height and make the small room feel airy.
高聳的鏡子凸顯了天花板的高度，讓這間小房間顯得更通透。
- downplay
to make something look less important or noticeable
文法句型
accent + noun
accent + noun + with + noun
用法筆記
Slightly formal; common in design, fashion, and food writing. The pattern 'accent X with Y' is frequent. In everyday speech, 'highlight' or 'emphasise' is more natural.
常見錯誤
2. to say a syllable, word, or musical note with more force than the ones near it,
重讀；加重
把某個音節或音符唸或彈得更用力
to say a syllable, word, or musical note with more force than the ones near it, so that listeners notice it.
Tomás accented the wrong syllable in 'photographer', and the whole class started giggling.
Tomás 把 photographer 的重音放錯音節，全班都笑了出來。
accent + [syllable]
Native speakers usually accent the second syllable in the verb 'record'.
母語人士唸動詞 record 時，通常會重讀第二個音節。
The pianist accented every third note to bring out the waltz rhythm.
鋼琴家每三個音就加重一次，把華爾滋的節奏帶出來。
When you read a question aloud, accent the key word so the listener knows what you are asking about.
唸出問句時，把關鍵字重讀，聽的人才會知道你在問什麼。
文法句型
accent + syllable/word
用法筆記
Mostly used in language teaching, phonetics, and music. Distinguish from verb sense 1: sense 2 is purely about sound (syllable, note), while sense 1 is about visual or general prominence.