A small mark added to a letter to show pronunciation (like the accent on café or the dot on an i), or relating to such marks.
From Greek dia- (through, across) + kritikos (able to discern, from krinein 'to judge'). The marks literally 'judge' or 'distinguish' sounds and letters from each other.
Without diacritics, Spanish 'tapa' (snack) and 'tapadera' get confusing—and French 'pâte' becomes 'pate'! These tiny marks completely change how we pronounce and understand words across languages.
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