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What is the difference between stress and accent?

stress | accent | Synonyms |

Accent is a synonym of stress.



As nouns the difference between stress and accent

is that stress is the internal distribution of force per unit area (pressure) within a body reacting to applied forces which causes strain or deformation and is typically symbolised by σ while accent is a higher-pitched or stronger articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to emphasize it.

As verbs the difference between stress and accent

is that stress is to apply force to (a body or structure) causing strain while accent is to express the accent of vocally; to utter with accent.

stress

English

Noun

  • (countable, physics) The internal distribution of force per unit area (pressure) within a body reacting to applied forces which causes strain or deformation and is typically symbolised by
  • (countable, physics) externally applied to a body which cause internal stress within the body.
  • (uncountable) Emotional pressure suffered by a human being or other animal.
    • Go easy on him, he's been under a lot of stress lately.
  • (uncountable, phonetics) The emphasis placed on a syllable of a word.
    • Some people put the stress on the first syllable of “controversy”; others put it on the second.
  • (uncountable) Emphasis placed on words in speaking.
  • (uncountable) Emphasis placed on a particular point in an argument or discussion (whether spoken or written).
    • (Spenser)
  • (Scotland, legal) distress; the act of distraining; also, the thing distrained.

    • Synonyms

    * (phonetics) accent, emphasis * (on words in speaking) emphasis * (on a point) emphasis

    Verb

  • To apply force to (a body or structure) causing strain.
  • To apply emotional pressure to (a person or animal).
  • (informal) To suffer stress; to worry or be agitated.
  • To emphasise (a syllable of a word).
    • “Emphasis” is stressed on the first syllable, but “emphatic” is stressed on the second.
  • To emphasise (words in speaking).
  • To emphasise (a point) in an argument or discussion.
    • I must stress that this information is given in strict confidence.

    Synonyms

    * (phonetics) emphasise/emphasize * (on words in speaking) emphasise/emphasize * (on a point) emphasise/emphasize, underline

    Derived terms

    * stressed * stress out

    References

    Related terms

    * strain * strait * strict * stringent * stringency ----

    accent

    English

    (wikipedia accent)

    Etymology 1

    First attested in the late 14th century. (The "decorative" sense is first attested in 1972.) From (etyl) accent, from (etyl) acent, from (etyl) accentus, formed from ad + with a vowel change.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (linguistics) A higher-pitched or stronger articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to emphasize it.
    • In the word "careful", the accent is placed on the first syllable.
  • (figuratively) Emphasis or importance in general.
    • At this hotel, the accent is on luxury.
  • (orthography) A mark or character used in writing, in order to indicate the place of the spoken accent, or to indicate the nature or quality of the vowel marked.
    • The name Cézanne is written with an acute accent .
  • (senseid) Modulation of the voice in speaking; the manner of speaking or pronouncing; a peculiar or characteristic modification of the voice, expressing emotion; tone.
  • * 1608 , , II-ii
    • I know, sir, I am no flatterer: he that beguiled you in a plain accent was a plain knave; which for my part I will not be, though I should win your displeasure to entreat me to 't.
  • * 1696 , , "From Celia to Damon", in Poems on Several Occasions
    • The tender Accent of a Woman's Cry / Will pass unheard, will unregarded die;
  • (linguistics) The distinctive manner of pronouncing a language associated with a particular region, social group, etc., whether of a native speaker or a foreign speaker; the phonetic and phonological aspects of a dialect.
    • a foreign accent'''; an American, British or Australian '''accent
  • A word; a significant tone or sound.
  • (usually, plural only) Expressions in general; speech.
  • * Dryden
    • Winds! on your wings to Heaven her accents bear, / Such words as Heaven alone is fit to hear.
  • (prosody, poetry) Stress laid on certain syllables of a verse.
  • (music) A regularly recurring stress upon the tone to mark the beginning, and, more feebly, the third part of the measure.
  • (music) A special emphasis of a tone, even in the weaker part of the measure.
  • (music) The rhythmical accent, which marks phrases and sections of a period.
  • (music) The expressive emphasis and shading of a passage.
  • (music) A mark used to represent specific stress on a note.
  • (mathematics) A mark placed at the right hand of a letter, and a little above it, to distinguish magnitudes of a similar kind expressed by the same letter, but differing in value, as y'', '''y .
  • (geometry) A mark at the right hand of a number, indicating minutes of a degree, seconds, etc., as in 12' 27'' , meaning twelve minutes and twenty-seven seconds.
  • (engineering) A mark used to denote feet and inches, as in 6' 10'' , meaning six feet ten inches.
  • Emphasis laid on a part of an artistic design or composition; an emphasized detail, in particular a detail in sharp contrast to its surroundings.
  • A very small gemstone set into a piece of jewellery.
  • A distinctive feature or quality.
  • (archaic) Utterance.
    • Derived terms
    * accent mark * acute accent * grave accent * primary accent * secondary accent * tonic accent

    See also

    * circumflex

    References

    * “ Accent, sb.'']” on pages 50–51 of § 1 (A) of volume I (A–B, ed. ?, 1888) of ''[[w:Oxford English Dictionary, A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles] (1st ed.) * “ accent, n.''” in the ''Oxford English Dictionary (2nd ed., 1989)

    Etymology 2

    From the (etyl) (m), from the (etyl) (m), from the (etyl) , from (m), whence the (etyl) noun (m).

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To express the accent of vocally; to utter with accent.
  • To mark emphatically; to emphasize; to accentuate; to make prominent.
  • To mark with written accents.

    • References

    * “ Accent, v.'']” on page 51/3 of § 1 (A) of volume I (A–B, ed. ?, 1888) of ''[[w:Oxford English Dictionary, A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles] (1st ed.) * “ accent, v.''” in the ''Oxford English Dictionary (2nd ed., 1989) ----