grave accent Hear it!

grave accent definition

grave accent (gräv, grāv)

a mark ( ˋ ) used to indicate:
  1. the quality or length of a vowel, as in French chère
  2. in French, a distinction in meaning, as in où, “where” and ou, “or”
  3. secondary stress as in týpewrìter
  4. full pronunciation of a syllable normally elided in speech, as in lovèd

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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