diaeresis

noun

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di·aer·e·sis | \ dī-ˈer-ə-səs

, British also -ˈir- \

variants: or dieresis

plural diaereses\ dī-ˈer-ə-ˌsēz

, 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 Example Sentences Learn More About diaeresis

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

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'diaeresis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.