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Emphasise vs Accentuate - What's the difference?

emphasise | accentuate |

As verbs the difference between emphasise and accentuate

is that emphasise is (british) while accentuate is to pronounce with an accent or vocal stress.

emphasise

English

Verb

(emphasis)
  • (British)

    • Usage notes

    The "s" spelling has co-existed with the "z" spelling for at least 150 years (Thackeray wrote emphasised ), and is becoming more common in the UK, with the "z" spelling gradually falling out of usage. British English forms

    accentuate

    English

    Verb

    (accentuat)
  • To pronounce with an accent or vocal stress.
  • To bring out distinctly; to make more noticeable or prominent; to emphasize.
  • * In Bosnia, the struggle between East and West was even more accentuated . - London Times
  • * {{quote-book, year=1913, author=
    • , title=Lord Stranleigh Abroad , chapter=5 citation , passage=These were business hours, and a feeling of loneliness crept over him, perhaps germinated by his sight of the illustrated papers, and accentuated by an attempted perusal of them.}}
  • To mark with a written accent.

    • Synonyms

    *

    Related terms

    * accentual * accentuation