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Glite Dictionary
🗣️ No accent 🔈 No stress
accentless

accentless

7.3
A part of a word people do not pronounce with stress and say more softly than other parts
  • adjective
  • /ˈæksɛntləs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : 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

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
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
6.3

Parts of words that you say without strong stress

is defined in prosodic terms rather than general pronunciation
unstressed
vsaccentless
  • Specialized
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
atonic
vsaccentless
  • Specialized
9.8

Not having stress in a syllable of a word

applies generally to absence of prosodic accent beyond single syllables
inflectionless
vsaccentless
7.9

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

focuses specifically on absence of prosodic accent rather than general monotony

Antonyms

stressed
3.5

Said louder and longer than other syllables

emphasized
  • US
3.7

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

How Stressed

stressed
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.