diaeresis

[dahy-er-uh-sis]

noun

plural

diaereses 

1. dieresis.

diaeresis

/ daɪˈɛrɪsɪs, ˌdaɪəˈrɛtɪk /

noun

1. the mark ¨, in writing placed over the second of two adjacent vowels to indicate that it is to be pronounced separately rather than forming a diphthong with the first, as in some spellings of coöperate , naïve , etc

2. this mark used for any other purpose, such as to indicate that a special pronunciation is appropriate to a particular vowel Compare umlaut

3. a pause in a line of verse occurring when the end of a foot coincides with the end of a word

Other Word Forms

• diaeretic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of diaeresis¹

C17: from Latin diarēsis , from Greek diairesis a division, from diairein , from _dia- + hairein to take; compare _heresy

Example Sentences

A memorial to the Brontë sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne has had diaereses added above the letter "e" of the authors' surname, 85 years after it was unveiled.

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She understands that “The New Yorker’s identity is partly defined by its deliberately conservative diaeresis on words like ‘coöperate.’

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If you find these difficult to read, The New Yorker has a solution: next year, consider the diaeresis.

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I could jettison the diaeresis, impose my own logic on the hyphen, and defy Webster’s by, say, making two words out of “hardworking.”

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I wouldn’t wish an episode of diaeresis on anyone, but you asked for it.

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