Portuguese Accent Marks: Find the Stress and Say the Word
Accent marks can show which vowel is stressed and whether it is open or closed; they are part of a word’s spelling, not decoration.
Real Life Portuguese · 4 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
An acute accent (´) or circumflex (^ over a vowel) usually makes the stressed syllable explicit. In café, the final é is stressed; in você, the final ê is stressed. Reading the mark helps you avoid placing English-style stress on the wrong part of the word.
Use the accent to locate the stressed syllable
The marks also provide a clue to vowel quality. An acute accent commonly represents an open vowel, while a circumflex commonly marks a closed vowel. This distinction is easiest to learn through familiar words and audio rather than by memorizing an abstract chart first.
café
coffee — stress the final syllable
você
you — stress the final syllable
avó
grandmother — open ó sound
Read the word as a whole, not one mark at a time
Not every Portuguese word has an accent mark, and the mark does not replace listening. In sábado and música, the accent identifies an earlier stressed syllable. In café, it marks the final syllable. Say the complete word and notice where your voice naturally emphasizes it.
Accents can distinguish different words too, such as avó (grandmother) and avô (grandfather). Keep the spelling attached to the meaning when you make vocabulary cards; the accent is a useful memory cue and can prevent confusion.
Hoje é sábado.
Today is Saturday.
Eu gosto de música brasileira.
I like Brazilian music.
Minha avó mora perto do meu avô.
My grandmother lives near my grandfather.
Put it into practice
Use acute and circumflex accents to guide stress and vowel quality, then confirm the sound with a Brazilian audio example.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “My grandmother lives near my grandfather”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.