Difference between Umlaut and Diaeresis

What is the difference between Umlaut and Diaeresis?

Umlaut as a noun is an assimilatory process whereby a vowel is pronounced more like a following vocoid that is separated by one or more consonants. while Diaeresis as a noun is a diacritic placed over a vowel letter indicating that it is sounded separately, usually forming a distinct syllable, as in , , .

Umlaut

Part of speech: verb

Definition: To place an umlaut over a vowel.

Part of speech: noun

Definition: An assimilatory process whereby a vowel is pronounced more like a following vocoid that is separated by one or more consonants. The umlaut process (as above) that occurred historically in Germanic languages whereby back vowels became front vowels when followed by syllable containing a front vocoid (e.g. Germanic lūsi > Old English līs(i) > Modern English lice). A vowel so assimilated. The diacritical mark ( ¨ ) placed over a vowel to indicate such assimilation.

Diaeresis

Part of speech: noun

Definition: A diacritic placed over a vowel letter indicating that it is sounded separately, usually forming a distinct syllable, as in , , .The separation of a vowel, often a diphthong, into two distinct syllables.A natural break in rhythm when a word ends at the end of a metrical foot, in a line of verse.

We hope you now know whether to use Umlaut or Diaeresis in your sentence.

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