diaereses Definition
a sign (¨) placed over a vowel to indicate that it should be pronounced separately from the vowel in the same syllable.
Using diaereses: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "diaereses" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The diaeresis is used in words like naïve and coöperate to indicate that the two vowels should be pronounced separately.
Example
In English, the diaeresis is also used to distinguish between homographs, such as 'coöperate' and 'coordinate.'
Example
The diaeresis is not commonly used in modern English.
Origins of diaereses
from Greek 'diairesis', meaning 'division'
Summary: diaereses in Brief
The term 'diaereses' [dɪˈɛrəsiːz] refers to a sign (¨) placed over a vowel to indicate that it should be pronounced separately from the vowel in the same syllable. It is used in words like naïve and coöperate to indicate that the two vowels should be pronounced separately, and to distinguish between homographs.