This article is about the phonological term. For typographic issues of the diacritic ¨, see Umlaut (diacritic).

In linguistics, a diaeresis, or dieresis (AE) (from Greek διαίρεσις, (diairein), to divide) is the division of two adjacent vowels as two syllables rather than as a diphthong. The opposite phenomenon is known as synaeresis.

The diacritic mark composed of two small dots ( ) placed over a vowel to indicate this modification is also called a diaeresis, or a trema. It replaces the single dot on "i".

See also

• Umlaut (diacritic)
• Synaeresis
• Syllable
• Pausa
• diphthong

Diacritics | Phonology

Dièresi | Trema | Diéresis | Tréma | Diérese | Dieresis