To save this word, you'll need to log in.
di·aer·e·sis | \ dī-ˈer-ə-səs 
, British also -ˈir- \
, British also -ˈir- \variants:
or dieresis
plural diaereses\ dī-ˈer-ə-ˌsēz , British also -ˈir- \
, British also -ˈir- \Definition of diaeresis
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
Other Words from diaeresis
diaeretic \ ˌdī-ə-ˈre-tik \ adjective
\ adjectiveKeep scrolling for more
Learn More about diaeresis
Dictionary Entries near diaeresis
See More Nearby EntriesStatistics for diaeresis
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Diaeresis.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diaeresis. Accessed 28 January 2020.
Comments on diaeresis
What made you want to look up diaeresis? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
January 2020 Words of the Day Quiz
- Which is a synonym of bonhomie?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- January 2020 Words of the Day Quiz
Word of the Day quiz returns (again!)
Take the quiz - Intact Latin Quiz
What did each of these words mean to ancient Romans?
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Add Diction
Build a chain of words by adding one letter at a time.
Play the game
Share diaeresis
Time Traveler for diaeresis
The first known use of diaeresis was circa 1611
See more words from the same year