Summary of Stress Accent and Graphic Accent

Relevance of the Theme

Tonic and graphic accents are fundamental concepts of the Portuguese language that directly affect the pronunciation and spelling of words. They are essential for understanding and producing correct and appropriate texts, acting as tools that provide rhythm and clarity to our everyday speech and writing. The correct understanding of these concepts is a milestone in the journey of linguistic studies, opening doors to the exploration of other aspects of the language, such as semantics and syntax.

Contextualization

In the vast panorama of the Portuguese discipline, tonic and graphic accentuation occupy their places in the unit of Phonetics and Phonology. In this context, students are already familiar with the notion that language is a system of organized sounds and that these sounds are the basis of all words. Now, the focus shifts to how these sounds are accented and how this accentuation is reflected graphically.

Understanding what tonic accent is and how it works is, therefore, a next and crucial step. Through the study of tonic accent, students come to understand the melody and cadence of the Portuguese language. At the same time, the study of graphic accent shows how the language uses visual signals (accents) to represent its musicality.

The manipulation of tonic and graphic accents is an exercise in mastering the Portuguese language and triggers profound impacts on essential skills, such as text interpretation and production. Therefore, the wealth of details explored in this class note will serve as a solid guide for understanding this theme.

Let's then delve into the universe of tonic accent and graphic accent!

Theoretical Development

Components

• Tonic Accent: The tonic accent is the natural stress we give to a syllable when speaking. In many languages, including Portuguese, some sounds are automatically more emphasized than others in the pronunciation of a word. The tonic accent can fall on any of the syllables of a word and, in Portuguese, is indicated by the graphic accent.
• Tonic Syllable: The syllable that receives the tonic accent in a word. The correct identification of the tonic syllable is extremely important in graphic accentuation.

Key Terms

• Paroxytones: Words that have the tonic syllable on the penultimate syllable. The vast majority of Portuguese words are paroxytones.
• Oxytones: Words that have the tonic syllable on the last syllable. Common examples are "bem" (well), "pai" (father), "mamãe" (mom).
• Proparoxytones: Words that have the tonic syllable on the antepenultimate syllable. Examples are "lâmpada" (lamp), "estávamos" (we were).

Examples and Cases

• Accentuation of Paroxytones: Paroxytones are accented when ending in a consonant other than "s" or in a diphthong. Examples: "lápis" (pencil), "cônsul" (consul), "próximo" (next).
• Accentuation of Oxytones: All oxytones are accented on the last syllable when ending in "a", "e", "o", "em", "ens". Examples: "cajá" (cashew), "cortês" (courteous), "degrau" (step).
• Accentuation of Proparoxytones: All proparoxytones are accented. If they are not, the circumflex accent (called differential accent) should be used to distinguish homograph words. Examples: "ônibus" (bus) (to differentiate from "onibus", common noun).

Detailed Summary

Relevant Points

• Tonic Accent: Essentially, the tonic accent is the most emphasized syllable in a word. It is what gives rhythm and musicality to the language. Always present in speech, but not always marked in writing.

• Tonic Syllable: Understanding the tonic syllable is central to understanding the tonic accent. Each word has a single tonic syllable. The tonic accent can fall on the initial syllable (proparoxytone), the middle syllable (paroxytone), or the final syllable (oxytone).

• Graphic Accent: In Portuguese, the graphic accent is used to indicate the tonic syllable and to differentiate the pronunciation and, consequently, the meaning of some words. It is essential in writing to avoid ambiguities.

• Paroxytones, Oxytones, and Proparoxytones: It is necessary to understand the classification of words according to the position of the tonic syllable. The accentuation rules, especially for paroxytones and oxytones, are directly linked to this classification.

• Rules of Graphic Accentuation: Essential for the correct use of the graphic accent. The main rules are: accentuation of paroxytones, accentuation of oxytones, and accentuation of proparoxytones.

Conclusions

• Connection between Tonic Accent and Graphic Accent: The tonic accent, although always present in speech, is not always graphically indicated. Understanding where the tonic accent falls in a word is crucial for the correct use of the graphic accent.

• Importance of Graphic Accent: The graphic accent plays a fundamental role in differentiating words that, when pronounced the same way, have distinct meanings. Its correct use ensures the correct understanding of the text.

Suggested Exercises

1. Identifying Tonic Syllables: Given a set of words, the student must identify the tonic syllable of each one. Example: "caneta" (pen) (ca-NE-ta).

2. Classifying Words by Accentuation: The student must classify a set of words into paroxytones, oxytones, and proparoxytones and then accentuate them correctly. Example: "porta" (door), "cair" (to fall), "selo" (stamp) (paroxytones with accent on the second syllable); "avô" (grandfather), "paletó" (jacket), "bebê" (baby) (oxytones with accent on the last syllable); "ônibus" (bus), "lâmpada" (lamp), "estávamos" (we were) (proparoxytones always accented).