From the Copyeditor’s Desk: Ten Words That Need Accent Marks in Your Writing
by Beth Blachman
Diacritics are the accent marks that go above and below letters in words. While some other languages have many more of them than English, accent marks sometimes emigrate into English along with the words that travel from their places of origin. Sometimes diacritical marks are dropped in English, but we recommend keeping them in these words, and any others where the accent has migrated into the common usage. The best practice is to look in Merriam Webster online and see if the first recommended spelling includes the diacritical marks, and if so, add them to your manuscript. That’s what a copyeditor would do.
TIP: If you’re trying to insert accent marks or special characters in your writing using Microsoft Word, look for the tabs for Insert and then navigate to Symbol and then More Symbols. Scroll until you find the character you need.
café
Most sources agree with Webster that this noun derived from the French needs the acute (left-leaning) accent.
cliché
This word from the French originates from the idea of a printer’s metal block that could be reproduced endlessly.
résumé
Keep the accents in résumé to avoid people mixing it up with the verb resume, meaning continue.
exposé
This noun for a tell-all needs the accent so that it won’t be mixed up with the verb for to uncover.
piñata
Don’t have a party without the tilde over the n in this Spanish word that has traveled into common English usage.
rosé
Keep the accent grave in this word for a pink wine so that it doesn’t get mixed up with the color or the flower.
déjà vu
Please keep the accent grave and the acute accent in this word for the feeling of having previously experienced the moment you are living, which comes from French words that literally mean “already seen.”
maître d'
This term meaning “master of the house” refers to the head waiter in a restaurant.
à la carte
This commonly used French restaurant term meaning “by the card” often is used in non-food contexts.
soufflé
Getting hungry yet? As you can see, many food and restaurant terms that have migrated from French into English retain their diacritical marks.
Beth Blachman is a freelance writer and editor who has worked in journalism, education, and as the editor-in-chief of SLICE literary magazine. She is a co-founder of the Pub Pros.