Strong and Weak Vowels in Spanish

Vowels in Spanish are classified as either weak or strong, and the classification determines when combinations of two or more vowels are considered to form a separate syllable. Key Takeaways: Spanish Vowels The strong vowels of Spanish are a, e, and o; the weak vowels are i and u.When two strong vowels are next to each other, they form separate syllables; in other combinations, the vowels are in the same syllable.Two vowels next to each other form a diphthong; three vowels next to each other form a triphthong. Two Types of Vowels The strong vowels of Spanish — sometimes known as open vowels—are a, e, and o. The weak vowels — sometimes known as closed vowels or semivowels—are i and u. Y often serves as a weak vowel as well, functioning in the same way and sounding the same as i. The basic rule of vowel combinations and syllables is that two strong vowels cannot be in the same syllable, so that when two strong vowels are next to each other, they are considered to belong to separate syllables. But other combinations — such as a strong and a weak vowel or two weak vowels — form a single syllable. Be aware that in real life, especially in rapid speech, two strong vowels, such as in the words maestro and Oaxaca, often slide together to be pronounced in a way that may sound like a single syllable or very close to it. But they are still considered separate syllables for writing purposes, such as when dividing words at the end of a line or for the use of accent marks. Keep in mind that vowel sounds in Spanish tend to be purer than they are in English. In English, for example, the word boa (a type of snake) often sounds something like boh-wah, while in Spanish boa sounds more like boh-ah. This is because English speakers often pronounce the long o with a slight ooh sound at the end, while Spanish speakers do not. Diphthongs When a strong and a weak vowel or two weak vowels combine to form a single syllable, they form a diphthong. An example of a diphthong is the ai combination in baile (dance). The ai combination here sounds much like the English word eye. Another example is the ui combination in fui, which to the English speaker sounds much like fwee. Here are some fairly common words that include diphthongs (shown in boldface): puerto (port), tierra (earth), siete (seven), hay (there is or there are), cuida (care), ciudad (city), labio (lip), hacia (toward), paisano (peasant), cancià ³n (song), Europa (Europe), aire (air). In some words, a strong and weak vowel or two weak vowels dont merge together but instead form separate syllables. In those cases, a written accent over the weak vowel is used to show the distinction. A common example is the name Marà ­a. Without the accent mark, the name would be pronounced much like MAHR-yah. In effect, the accent mark turns the i into a strong vowel. Other words where an accent mark is used to keep a weak vowel from becoming part of a diphthong include rà ­o (river), heroà ­na (heroine), dà ºo (duet) and paà ­s (country). If there is an accent over the strong vowel, it doesnt destroy the diphthong. For example, in adià ³s, the accent merely indicates where the spoken stress goes but doesnt affect how the vowels work together. Triphthongs Occasionally, a diphthong can combine with a third vowel to form a triphthong. Triphthongs never have two strong vowels in them; they are formed by either three weak vowels or a strong vowel with two weak vowels. Words that have triphthongs include Uruguay (Uruguay), estudià ¡is (you study) and buey (ox). Note that for purposes of the written accent, the y is considered a consonant even if it is functioning as a vowel. Thus the final syllable of Uruguay is what gets the stress; thats where the stress goes on words ending in a consonant other than n or s. If the final letter were an i, the word would need to be spelled Uruguà ¡i to maintain the pronunciation.

Old Man and Sea Essay - 616 Words

Perserverance, Courage, and Wisdom Used in Everyday Life Throughout a life, people have to overcome obstacle after obstacle to be successful in the world. Humans are thrown challenges day after day, week after week. Everyone must try hard at something to be truly happy in their life. In Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Old Man and the Sea, he used the marlin and the sharks as symbols, and gave Santiago certain character attributes to depict the perserverance, courage, and smarts needed to get through the ups and downs that life hands everyone. Santiago had gone 84 days without catching a fish and was about to surpass his previous record of 87 days, when there was a pull on his line. Santiago had finally caught a something. To make it even†¦show more content†¦These sharks do not bring out the best in Santiago, but like the marlin, Santiago loses all strength while fighting these beasts. Santiago felt that fighting the marlin was worth his time because it would bring him glory. Fighting the sharks would only bring destruction. Only when the marlin had been entirely eaten away does Santiago give up, knowing he â€Å"was beaten now finally and without a doubt† (119). Even though Santiago has the feeling of defeat, the community finds him a hero for taking on that struggle and fighting until the end. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Ernest Hemingway gave Santiago many characteristics to give him the strength to battle the marlin, his feeling of hunger, and the sharks. One of the attributes was his wisdom. Santiago describes, â€Å"...I am glad we don’t have to kill the stars. Imagine if each day a man must try to kill the moon. The moon runs away. But imagine if each day a man should have to kill the sun† (73). His wisdom and his logic helped him through the three days of struggle. Hemingway showed that Santiago may have been old, yet with his experience of fishing, his patience, and with his hope he was able to bring home the finest catch of all, even though there was not much left of it. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Santiago had what it took to get the things done that he felt would help him in the long run. He felt he was unsuccessful at the task at hand, but others applauded his courage and strength to keep going, even whenShow MoreRelated Old Man and the Sea Essay1214 Words   |  5 PagesErnest Hemingway wrote The Old Man and the Sea to show how you can push through the hardest of times and still not be defeated. The story shows how an old fisherman overcame an unlucky slump with the support from a young boy that loved and helped Santiago named Manolin. Santiago fought through the discrimination of the other old fisherman and refused to give up. Through Santiago’s struggles when trying to catch the great marlin, he kept pursuing his goal. 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As Santiago goes too far trying to catch the marlin, heRead MoreEssay about The Old Man and the Sea850 Words   |  4 PagesThe Old Man and the Sea Callie Dorfman 1031099 Amanda Cockburn (Remake) 1 In the book The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway uses the flashback technique in order to characterize Santiago and develop key themes of the novel, such as Santiago’s connection with nature and what it means to be a hero. Hemingway employs several flashbacks as an effective technique that develops Santiago’s character as he recalls past occurrences in order to renew his strength of will. There are three flashbacks

Battle of the Marne Free Essays

ww2 The Battle of the Marne By Owen Fish In September 1914, the First Battle of the Marne took place. It is called the Battle of the Marne because it took place at the River Marne outside of Paris France. The German forces were attacking the French capital after invading places like Belgium and North Eastern France. We will write a custom essay sample on Battle of the Marne or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Germans were expected to win this battle and because of that, the French government fled Paris to Bordeaux. The Weapons used during this battle and many battles of this time was bolt action rifles, with the Germans using the Mauser Gewehr 98. When the Battle began the French Commander in Chief, Joseph Joffre, launched a counter attack by attacking one side of the German line. When he attacked the one side, part of the line helped out the people on the side, creating a gap between the two German armies. When this gap formed, the French troops forced it wider and wider by attacking the other side of the gap. On September 8 1914, French troops launched a surprise attack on the second German army, further widening the gap between the two armies. On September the 9th, the German chief of staff, Helmuth Von Moltke, ordered a retreat by the two German armies because of poor communication between them. When they retreated the Allied forces followed them, but not too quickly. After approximately 40 miles of retreating from the Marne river, the Germans camped out and dug trenches, that eventually led to trench warfare. The French armies lost about 250,000 soldiers at the Battle of the Marne and the German armies are believed to have lost about the same numbers, but no official numbers are available. The British BEF, which helped the French armies throughout the battle lost about 12,733 men. The Allied Victory at the Battle of the Marne not only was an Allied Victory, but it ended any German hopes of ending the First World War quickly. French Soldiers at the Battle How to cite Battle of the Marne, Papers