🗣️ No accent 🔈 No stress

accentless

7.3

A part of a word people do not pronounce with stress and say more softly than other parts

adjective
/ˈæksɛntləs/

Specialized

: sin acento

In the poem, several syllables are intentionally accentless to create a soft rhythm.

Examples

The teacher explained that the final vowel in the word is accentless and should be pronounced softly.
Some languages have accentless syllables that are spoken more quietly than the stressed ones.
She spoke in an accentless voice.
His accentless speech made him sound neutral.
The teacher explained that the final vowel in the word is accentless and should be pronounced softly.
In the poem, several syllables are intentionally accentless to create a soft rhythm.
His accentless speech allowed him to blend in with the local population.

Synonyms

uninflected

vsaccentless

1 8.0

Speech that stays flat and shows little feeling

is narrower, concentrating solely on prosodic accent absence in speech

unaccented

vsaccentless

Specialized

1 6.3

Parts of words that you say without strong stress

is defined in prosodic terms rather than general pronunciation

unstressed

vsaccentless

Specialized

1 4.9

A part of a word not said with strong emphasis, like the second syllable of banana

is used more broadly for lack of prosodic accent rather than just syllables

weak

vsaccentless

Specialized

1 7.7

A vowel or syllable with little stress when spoken

means complete lack of prosodic stress rather than reduced force

inflectionless

vsaccentless

1 7.9

Said in a flat, boring voice with no rise or fall

focuses specifically on absence of prosodic accent rather than general monotony

atonic

vsaccentless

Specialized

9.8

Not having stress in a syllable of a word

applies generally to absence of prosodic accent beyond single syllables

Antonyms

emphasized

1 3.7

Said or shown in a way that makes it stand out as important

stressed

1 3.5

Said louder and longer than other syllables

How Stressed

stressed

1 3.5

weak

Specialized

1 7.7

accentless

Specialized

7.3

Surface Forms

accentless positive

Morphology

accentless = accent (transparent) = accent + less

The adjective is formed by adding the productive suffix '-less' to 'accent', here indicating absence of prosodic stress.

Etymology

Accentless comes from accent, meaning 'stress or emphasis in speech', and -less, meaning 'without'. So an accentless syllable is one 'without stress', spoken softly and without strong emphasis.