Spelling and Accent Rules in Catalan

Overview

Catalan orthography follows a well-defined set of rules governed by the Institut d'Estudis Catalans (IEC). At the C1 level, you need to understand accent marks, the dieresis, the ela geminada (l·l), apostrophes, and hyphens in pronoun placement. These are not merely cosmetic — they affect pronunciation, meaning, and correctness.

Catalan uses two types of accent marks: the accent greu (`) for open vowels (à, è, ò) and the accent agut (´) for closed vowels (é, í, ó, ú). Knowing which accent to use requires understanding vowel quality, stress position, and the IEC's normative rules. The dieresis (¨) indicates that a u or i is pronounced separately rather than forming part of a diphthong.

The ela geminada (l·l) is a uniquely Catalan spelling convention representing a geminated (doubled) l sound, written with a raised dot: col·legi, il·lusió. This feature has no equivalent in Spanish or French and is a common spelling challenge.

How It Works

Accent Mark Rules

Accent	Vowel quality	Used on	Examples
Greu (`)	Open	à, è, ò	cafè, bèstia, allò
Agut (´)	Closed	é, í, ó, ú	també, aquí, cantó, algú

When to Write Accents

Word type	Rule	Example
Agudes (stress on last syllable)	Accent if ending in vowel, -as, -es, -is, -os, -us, -en, -in	cafè, també, germà
Planes (stress on penultimate)	Accent if NOT ending in above	fàcil, difícil, àlbum
Esdrúixoles (stress on antepenultimate)	Always accented	clàssica, gramàtica, música

Dieresis (¨)

Use	Example	Meaning
ü after g/q when pronounced	qüestió, lingüístic	u is pronounced
ï to break diphthong	veïna, raïm	i is separate syllable

Ela Geminada (l·l)

Catalan	Spanish equivalent	English
col·legi	colegio	school
il·lusió	ilusión	illusion
intel·ligent	inteligente	intelligent
col·laborar	colaborar	to collaborate
il·legal	ilegal	illegal

Apostrophes and Hyphens in Pronouns

Rule	Example
Before verb starting with vowel: apostrophe	M'agrada. L'he vist.
After imperative: hyphen	Porta-me'l. Digues-li.
Combined pronouns after verb	Dona-me'l. Fes-ho.

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
cafè (greu) vs. també (agut)	coffee vs. also	Open è vs. closed é
col·legi (ela geminada)	school	Geminated l
Porta-m'hi. (imperative + pronouns)	Take me there.	Hyphen + apostrophe
qüestió, lingüístic (dieresis)	question, linguistic	ü pronounced
veïna, raïm	neighbor (f), grapes	ï separates syllable
el cafè és bo	the coffee is good	Accent on cafè
la il·lusió és gran	the illusion is great	Ela geminada
difícil, fàcil	difficult, easy	Planes with accent
gramàtica, música	grammar, music	Esdrúixoles always accented
algú, ningú	someone, nobody	Agut accent

Common Mistakes

Confusing accent greu and agut

• Wrong: cafë or café
• Right: cafè (open è, accent greu)
• Why: The accent type indicates vowel quality. Open e/o take greu (`), closed e/o take agut (´). This distinction affects pronunciation.

Forgetting the ela geminada

• Wrong: col.legi (with period) or collegi (no marker)
• Right: col·legi (with raised dot)
• Why: The punt volat (raised dot) is the correct symbol, not a period. Most keyboards have a specific key or shortcut for it.

Omitting the dieresis

• Wrong: questió, linguístic
• Right: qüestió, lingüístic
• Why: Without the dieresis, the u would be silent (as in "què"). The dieresis signals that the u is pronounced.

Usage Notes

Catalan spelling reform has evolved over time, with the IEC periodically updating rules. The current standard (based on Pompeu Fabra's foundational work) is well-established. The dieresis and ela geminada are features that distinguish Catalan orthography from other Romance languages. Modern text editors and spell-checkers support Catalan orthography, making it easier to write correctly.

Practice Tips

1. Practice accent placement by classifying words: is it aguda, plana, or esdrúixola? Then apply the accent rule.
2. Make a list of common l·l words: col·legi, il·lusió, intel·ligent, col·laborar, al·lèrgia, il·lícit. Practice typing them with the raised dot.
3. Read a page of text and check every accent mark. Verify: is it greu or agut? Is it required by the accent rules? This builds orthographic awareness.

Related Concepts

• Formal Register — formal writing requires correct orthography
• Contractions and Elision — apostrophe rules in articles and pronouns