The Spanish word madre doesn't have an accent on the e.
Accents are used in Spanish to:
1) Identify the stress of a word and how to pronounce it.
2) Identify the stress of a word and how to write it.
3) Signal the difference in meaning of words that would otherwise be spelled the same.
There are a few different types of words in Spanish based on where the spoken stress is:
Agudas: Have stress on the last syllable.
Examples: doctor, ciudad, comer, razón
Llanas: Have stress on the penultimate syllable; most words in Spanish are llanas.
Examples: nada, origen, compro, este
Esdrújulas: Have stress on the third-to-last syllable. These always have accents.
Examples: plátano, teléfono, dámelo
Sobreesdrújulas: Have stress on the fourth-to-last syllable. These always have accents. Many are commands.
Examples: díganoslo, escríbemela, pásamelo
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