Accent, Assent, Consent

To which category do you place your accent (in mother tongue and English language): northern Telangana or Hyderabadi Telugu? American or British or Indian accent? Accent is a noun pronounced as ak-sent. Accent means a mode of pronunciation that is usually typical of a group, typical of a region (Telugu spoken in Rayalaseema differs in accent from that of coastal Andhra Pradesh).

Accent indicates to importance, prominence given to a syllable in a word by stressing it, or raising the pitch of it. Accent refers to the mark on the letter of a word to indicate the pitch, stress, the quality of a vowel (e, é, ē, ĕ, a, ä,ö). Accent means giving emphasis to something, insisting on something. He visits friends and family with the accent on food. In music, accent is giving emphasis on a particular note or chord.

Accent also functions as a verb, and refers to pronouncing a syllable in a word, or a word with emphasis, writing letters and words with print accents, playing a note with an accent. The derivates of accent are accents, accentuate (emphasise, make something prominent, give importance), and accentual (adjective), accentuation (noun).

What is the difference between a dialect and an accent? Many people use the words interchangeably but linguists know the difference. Dialect is a variety of language spoken by a class, or a group of people and it includes the accent but accent is the way the people sound: the way he or she pronounces words, the musicality of utterances.

Assent means to express agreement, saying ‘yes’ to something or someone’s request or opinions or wish; consent. Assent as a noun refers to mental acceptance, inward agreement; expression consent, sanctioning something: Some countries give assent to the requests of their neighbours especially in times of natural disasters.

Note that assent and consent have the same meaning in the sense that both imply agreement; Governments have to assent to the views of people. Consent functions as a noun and verb. As a verb, it is usually followed by to: she her consent to marry her beau. Consent means to give permission, voluntary, agreement, compliance.

The President of India has to give assent to some of the Bills passed in the legislative assemblies in the states of India. The President of India can refuse to give his assent to some of the Bills because they could contravene the Constitution of India. For example, there was no assent to ‘The Sikkim Promotion of Local Employment Bill’ because it violated the Constitution.