diéresis

[ˈd̪jeɾesis]

/[ˈd̪jeɾesis]/ noun

The verdict

“diéresis” is uncommon Spanish (frequency #88,772 among 90,663 “D” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#88,772
frequency rank, Spanish
90,663
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Signo gráfico compuesto por dos puntos colocados horizontalmente a la misma altura y escritos sobre una vocal para indicar una alteración en su pronunciación. En castellano se emplean principalment...

Key facts for diéresis
PropertyValue
Headworddiéresis
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈd̪jeɾesis]
Letters8
Frequency rank#88,772
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “diéresis” sits in Spanish frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). diéresis lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

diéresis is uncommon Spanish at frequency #88,772 among 90,663 “D” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈd̪jeɾesis]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

diéresis doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct Spanish form is diéresis, spelled D-I-É-R-E-S-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Signo gráfico compuesto por dos puntos colocados horizontalmente a la misma altura y escritos sobre una vocal para indicar una alteración en su pronunciación. En castellano se emplean principalmente sobre la letra u entre g y e o i para indicar que la misma debe pronunciarse con su sonido habitual y no ser muda, como lo es en general en esa posición: pingüino, agüero. Es arcaizante su empleo en poesía para indicar que una secuencia que forma normalmente diptongo debe pronunciarse separadamente. En otros idiomas, como el francés, este último uso es corriente y normal. En otras lenguas el mismo signo, denominado en ese caso umlaut, señala que la vocal representa un fonema distinto, como en el alemán o el alfabeto unificado del mapudungun.
  2. 2
    Pronunciación de forma separada de una secuencia que forma normalmente diptongo, por razones métricas, de énfasis o propias de una variedad lingüística.
  3. 3
    Corte o pausa entre dos pies en los versos griegos.
  4. 4
    Operación quirúrgica destinada a dividir un tejido.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "diéresis"?
"diéresis" is spelled D-I-É-R-E-S-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈd̪jeɾesis].
What does "diéresis" mean?
As a noun, "diéresis" means: Signo gráfico compuesto por dos puntos colocados horizontalmente a la misma altura y escritos sobre una vocal para indicar una alteración en su pronunciación. En castellano se emplean principalment...
How do you pronounce "diéresis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "diéresis" is [ˈd̪jeɾesis]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "diéresis" come from?
"diéresis" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “diéresis”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is D-I-É-R-E-S-I-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈd̪jeɾesis] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words

Other uncommon Spanish words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list