Nothing in this section
applies to words of Nordic origin.
1. In the Bloo Bouk code, English words can be marked by four diacritics: the rising accent (á), the falling accent (à), the mixed accent (â), the fixed accent (ä).
The bulk of the accentuation standards on this page was codified by the great conclave of 1687.
2. Diacritics may indicate syllable stress or vowel length.
3. The rising accent indicates long, wise and clear vowels in specific stressed contexts: págan, légal, lócal | paranóia, cóuntenancing | hármony, pértinent, impórtant
Before reading about accentuation, it is necessary to read about English vowels.

4. The falling accent indicates short vowels in specific contexts: ànalysing, mèditativ, discontènt
5. The falling accent identifies ma and doug in specific contexts: clàss | stùdy

6. The mixed accent identifies ma in specific contexts: contrâst, contrâsting
7. The mixed accent identifies hugh/luke in specific contexts: undû, acrû

8. The fixed accent indicates fixed clear vowels in specific contexts: ärea, sërios
9. The fixed accent identifies ma and hugh/luke in specific contexts: fótogräf | sütabel
10. The fixed accent indicates the weaker vowel of a hiatus: fluënt, ambiguïty, árguäbly

11. Use in Greek words: the rising (á), falling (à) and mixed (â/ã) accents have been used in Greek since Byzantine times. Native Greek speakers cannot guess stress without accentuation. This problem is aggravated in English, as the original stress often changes. Greek words in English need accentuation for the same reason they do it in Greek itself.
12. Use in Latin words: accents have been used in Romance languages since the Renaissance. They are an essential feature of French, which gave English a substantial lexical legacy. In specific circumstances, Latin-Romance words require accentuation and are accentuated in most Romance languages. Accentuation is necessary in English too.
Latin refers both to words borrowed directly from Latin and to words brought into English through Romance languages, especially Anglo-Norman and French.
13. Use in Germanic words: Nordic languages only make discreet use of accentuation (except Icelandic). Words of Germanic or Nordic origin do not require accentuation in English. Stress ambiguities are few and can be indicated without diacritics.

14. There are three types of accentuation in Greek and Latin words:
- Prefix accentuation clarifies vowel length in certain prefixes.
- Stress accentuation indicates the stressed syllable.
- Differential accentuation clarifies ambiguous vowel quality.
15. The following tables show standard accent assignments for Greek and Latin words.

Standard Assignments
Stressed
Short | Long | Wise | Clear |
---|---|---|---|
à intàct | á págan | â contrâst | ár impárt |
è atèst | é légal | áu apláud | är ärea |
ì enlìst | í líbel | óy enjóyd | ér refér |
ò acròss | ó lócal | óu acóunt | ër hëro |
ù discùss | ú músik | ú imprúv | ór impórt |
ur rural |
Unstressed
Short | Long | Wise | Clear |
---|---|---|---|
a impact | æ æórta | ä conträst | ar rampart |
e insect | ee cafeen | au audicion | ar unitary |
i dentist | y ydìa | oy envoy | er desert |
o nylon | œ lœcát | ou discount | — |
u conduct | u mutát | u rubèla | or cóhort |
ur penury |
Monosyllables
Short | Long | Wise | Clear |
---|---|---|---|
a fact | æ dæm | à pàss | ar part |
e fest | ee beest | au laud | air prair |
i list | y lyn | oy joy | er serv |
o cost | œ nœt | ou mount | eer sfeer |
u bust | ue duek | ue ruel | or sport |
ur pur |

Special Assignments
Final Long Vowels (French)
Monosyllables | Unstressed | Stressed |
---|---|---|
ay pay | ay valay, puray | áy aráy, blasáy |
y bry | y valy, kofy | é agré, employé |
ey crey | ey unifey, modifey | éy deféy, supléy |
o bo | o auto, macho | eau plateau, chateau |
u vu | u valu, vertu | û eschû, undû |

Prefix Accentuation
16. Prefixes may by monophonic or polyphonic:
- Monophonic prefixes are always pronounced the same way, e.g. con-, en-, ob-.
- Polyphonic prefixes are pronounced in different ways, e.g. re-: repórt, rèpresènt, récreæt.
17. Polyphonic prefixes require length accentuation:
- Short vowel cases have a falling accent: prè-, dè-, prò- etc.: prèsident, dèstituet, pròfit.
- Long vowel cases have a rising accent: pré-, dé-, pró- etc.: prétext, décompós, prógram.
- Reduced cases have no accent: pre-, de-, pro- etc.: pretènd, decév, prodús.
Prefix accents, therefore, do not indicate stress but clarify length. Their use on stressed syllables will be coincidental.
e-
with tess
effort | evidently | educate | erudite |
with schwa
efficient | event | elaborate | evaporate |
with pete
elongate | evocation | elongated | evolution |
with tess
fort | vidently | ducæt | rudyt |
with schwa
ficient | vènt | laborat | vaporæt |
longæt | vocácion | longæted | volúcion |
de-
with tess
desperate | desolate | denigrate | definitely |
with schwa
denial | department | demotion | degrading |
with pete
deconstruct | decolonise | demistify | decomposed |
with tess
sperat | solat | nigræt | finitly |
with schwa
níal | partment | mócion | gráding |
constrùct | còlonyz | mìstifey | compózd |
per-
with schwa
perfection | pervasive | perfect | perdition |
with bert
perfect | pertinent | imperfect | impermanent |
with schwa
fection | vásiv | fèct | dicion |
fect | tinent | im | fectim | manent
pre-
with tess
precedence | president | premonition | prelate |
with schwa
precision | preliminary | premonitory | precaution |
with pete
previous | predestination | precondition | prefabricated |
with tess
cedens | sident | monìcion | lat |
with schwa
cision | lìminary | mònitory | caucion |
vios | destinácion | condìcion | fàbricæted |
pro-
with bob
protestant | prosecute | propaganda | prosecution |
with schwa
provision | proliferation | prodigiously | progress |
with rose
progress | prorogation | procreate | prohibition |
with bob
testant | secuet | pagànda | secúcion |
with schwa
vision | liferácion | diggiosly | grèss |
gress | rogácion | creæt | hibìcion |
re-
with tess
resident | reference | repetitious | relish |
with schwa
regret | remission | repetitive | refectory |
with pete
repossess | reincorporate | remit | redecorated |
with tess
sident | ferens | petìcios | lish |
with schwa
grèt | mission | petitiv | fectory |
posèss | incórporæt | mit | dècoræted |
se-
with tess
separate | segregate | sedulous | inseparable |
with schwa
seclusion | sedition | select | secede |
with pete
secret | secrecy | secretly | secretive |
with tess
parat | gregæt | dulos | in | parabel
with schwa
clusion | dicion | lèct | céd |
cret | cressy | cretly | cretiv |

An early decorative banner used by the Knighthood of the Bloo Bouk, among several others. Books and keys have been a feature of banners since the foundation of the knighthood by Edward the Confessor in 1054.

Stress Accentuation
18. Stress accentuation is influenced by (i) accentuation system, (ii) number of syllables, (iii) position of stress, (iv) quality of suffixes.
19. There are two systems of stress accentuation:
Greek system: for words of Greek origin
Latin system: for Latin-Romance words
Words of non-Nordic, non-Latin and non-Greek origin follow the Greek system.

20. For accentuation purposes, words are divided according to the number of syllables:
one: monosyllable;
two: disyllable;
three: trisyllable;
four or more: polysyllable.

21. The position of stress in a non-monosyllable is:
oxytone: stress on the last syllable: content, catarrh;
paroxytone: on the penultimate: content, cater, consistent;
proparoxytone: on the antepenultimate: confident, intelligent, contemplative;
anteproparoxytone: on the fourth last syllable: meditative, difficulty, differently;
ante-anteproparoxytone: on the fifth last syllable: emancipatory.
Note the abbreviations:
ox = oxytone
pox = paroxytone
p.pox = proparoxytone
ap.pox = anteproparoxytone
ap.ap.pox = ante-anteproparoxytone
No monosyllable is accentuated (but cf. alternative à).
When stress undergoes regional variation, a word is accentuated accordingly: emàncipatory, emancipátory.

22. Suffixes may influence stress position and are divided into two groups:
reliable: trustworthy stress indicators, e.g. -tion makes a word pox, -ity makes it p.pox.
unreliable: untrustworthy as stress indicators, e.g. -ant, -ent, -ary, -ory.

23. Different inflections of the same word may follow different stress rules, e.g.:
fassinæt, fassinæts, fàssinæted, fàssinæting
prócreæt, prócreæts, prócreæted, prócreæting

A. Greek Stress
Stress Accentuation of Greek and foreign words (non-Greek, non-Latin, non-Nordic)24. Apart from monosyllables and paroxytone disyllables, every Greek word has an accent on the stressed syllable.
monosyllables | paroxytone disyllables
gas | music | polis | chorus |
type | planet | Athens | logic |
school | bishop | Sparta | butter |
lyre | olive | anthem | base |
gas | sik | lis | rus |
typ | net | thens | ggik |
skuel | shop | ta | ter |
líer | liv | them |
not accentuated
except for long vowels: bássik, káos, éthos
musik, bùter: cf. differential ù, redundant ú
all other cases
catarrh | photograph | analyse | analysing |
guitar | photographer | analysis | heterosexual |
catholic | photographic | analyses | metamorphosis |
cathedral | musically | analytical | hydroxycitronellal |
ka | togräf | alyz | alysing |
gui | fo | graferan | lissishèteros | xual
tholik | foto | ikan | lissesmeta | fossis
ka | dralsicaly | ana | tikalhydròxissitro | al
accentuated
hèterossèxual, hydròxissitronèlal: cf. secondary stress.

B. Latin Stress
Stress Accentuation of Latin and Romance (mostly French) words25. The main difference to Greek accentuation is that Latin proparoxytones are not accentuated:
- Greek words: tràggedy, kategòrikal, sìnfony
- Latin words: confident, punishment, university
(ante-)anteproparoxytones
meditative | vocabulary | legitimacy | inaccurately |
moderately | monastery | illegitimately | inventory |
immediately | communicative | inadequacy | delicacy |
emancipatory | quantitative | adequately | ultimately |
ditativ | vo | bularylegg | imassyin | curatly
deratly | nastery | ilegg | imatlyventory |
i | diatlyco | nicativin | dequassylicassy |
e | cipatorytitativ | dequatly | timatly |
accentuated
proparoxytones
definitive | arrogance | delicate | dignify |
moderate | aggravate | warranted | insolent |
ability | meditate | [it] finishes | applicant |
confident | communicate | sentencing | incontinence |
de | nitivrogans | licat | nifey |
derat | gravæt | anted | solent |
ab | lityditæt | ishes | plicant |
fident | co | nicættencing | in | tinens
not accentuated
except for polyphonic prefixes: pérmanent, indècoros, prócreæt
except for long vowels: imédiat, fínaly, lócaly
paroxytones
Disyllables, or with reliable suffix
content | certain | tension | expression |
image | present | vision | dereliction |
vulgar | desert | condition | inaction |
conflict | extract | attention | religion |
Three or more syllables with unreliable suffix or no suffix
consistent | attacking | indecent | constructive |
intermittent | annoying | contribute | responsive |
attendance | applauded | [he] confesses | conclusive |
regretting | repeated | imported | [she] relaxes |
Disyllables, or with reliable suffix
tent | an | sion | ex | ssion
agg | ent | sion | dere | cion
gar | ert | con | cionin | cion
flict | tract | a | cionre | ggion
not accentuated
except for polyphonic prefixes: pérfect, prógress, pròduct
except for long and clear vowels: págan, légal, líbel, lócal, sensácion | väry, hëro
con | enta | ingin | entcon | iv
inter | enta | ingcon | buetre | iv
a | ansa | edcon | escon | iv
re | ingre | edim | edre | es
accentuated
oxytones
relax | import | discuss | disconnect |
attend | exalt | conclict | reconstruct |
incorrect | insist | perfect | condescend |
confess | across | present | discontent |
re | im | dis | discon |
a | ezz | con | récon |
inco | in | per | condes |
con | a | pres | discon |
accentuated:
except final -air and -eer: compair, repair, career, engineer

C. Secondary Stress
Accentuation of Secondary Stress in Greek-Latin words26. Secondary stress is indicated when it occurs three or more syllables before the first stress.
(a) two syllables before first stress
(b) after first stress
fassinating | convoluted | counterpart | pluripotent |
prosecuting | inventory | paranoid | metamorphosis |
analysing | vocabulary | traumatising | authenticity |
fàssi | ingcònvo | edcounter | ripótent |
pròse | ingìnvent | ypàra | tamórfossis |
àna | ingvocàbul | ytràuma | ingthentìssity |
not accentuated
three or more syllables before first stress
heteromorphic | purification | hypoallergenic | parasympathetic |
globalisation | solidification | hypocondriasis | paraphernalia |
gentrification | hypercatabolism | polyacrylamide | haemodialysis |
teromórfik | ificácion | poalerggènik | rassimpathètik |
alysácion | so | ificácionpokondríassis | rafernália |
rificácion | perkatàbolizem | liakrìlamyd | modyàlissis |
accentuated
27. When prefix accentuation does not coincide with stress, the first stress must be indicated even if unnecessary without the prefix:
- produccion: reliable suffix, no accent.
- *réproduccion: would imply the first syllable is the first stress.
- réprodùccion: clarifies the first stress.
28. If a word has more than one accent, only the last can indicate first stress. The other accents indicate secondary stress or prefix quality. Secondary stress that comes after the first stress has no accent:
- hèteronórmativ: antecendent secondary stress with accent.
- rádiæting: succedent secondary stress without accent.

King Edward the Confessor knights the first knights of the Bloo Bouk at the founding ceremony of the knighthood, Winchester 1054. Beyond their military duties, the knights oversaw the protection of the Bloo Bouk at Sherborne cathedral.

Differential Accentuation
29. Two vowels require differential accentuation:
- a when ma must be distinguished from pat.
- u when doug must be distinguished from hugh/luke.

30. In general, à is assigned to pat and â to ma: impàct, enchânt. When a occurs in a monosyllable, it is generally pat: cat, rap, shal. When a is ma, it must be indicated. There are two options:
- â as the standard for ma : pâss, chânt.
- à as a simplified version: pàss, chànt.
Although à is the standard for pat, there would be no reason to accentuate pat in a monosyllable. Thus, à in a monosyllable can only mean a simplified form of â, which is called alternative à.
Alternative à can also be used in disyllable paroxytones, where pat would not need to be accentuated. Also here, à can only refer to ma : màster, pàssing, dàncing [= mâster, pâssing, dâncing].
ma as the last letter is not accentuated: bra, ma, bruhaha [= *brà/brâ, *mà/mâ, *bruhahà/bruhahâ].
alternative à
pass | drama | master | passing |
chant | danse | planted | calmly |
balm | chanting | almond | the Raj |
p | ssdr | mam | sterp | ssing
ch | ntd | nspl | ntedc | mly
b | mch | ntingmond | the R | j
ma is rendered as â in all other cases: contrâst, sonâta, oregâno, dissenchânt, mâsterly.

31. The letter u is a special case. In theory, ù indicates doug and ú indicates hugh/luke. In practice, doug and hugh/luke are indicated by the number of following consonants:
- u + two consonants = doug:
assumpcion, reduction, corupcion [= assùmpcion, redùccion, corùpcion]. - u + consonant and vowel = hugh/luke:
revolucion, butiful, computer [= revolúcion, bútiful, compúter].
The accentuated forms in the above examples are called redundant ù and redundant ú. None is used.

32. When u + consonant and vowel = doug, ù is used as a differential ù: bùter, cùlor, gùvern. Here, buter, culor, guvern without an accent would be misunderstood as búter, cúlor, gúvern.
differential ù
study | cover | colour | covenant |
govern | government | courage | discover |
st | dyc | verc | lorc | venant
g | verng | vermentc | raggdisc | ver
Indicates that [u] is not hugh/luke but doug.

33. In non-Nordic words, hugh and luke are not distinguished graphically. As a general rule, they occur as follows:
- luke after /r ʃ ʒ l/: rumor, parashuet, jucy, ilusion.
- hugh in all other cases: cubik, musik, assuming, unity.
34. When luke occurs in other cases, it may be indicated with ü, which is called a facultative ü: müving, sütabel or muving, sutabel.
facultative ü
accoutrement | movement | suitable | moved |
ac | trementm | vments | tabelm | vd
Indicates that [u] is not hugh but luke.

35. In monosyllables hugh/luke is assigned the following:
- open monosyllables have u: cu, du, flu, glu, su [sü], vu.
- closed monosyllables have ue: cuet, duek, fleut, glued, suet, vued.
36. In non-monosyllables, hugh/luke in the last syllable is assigned the following:
- open stressed has û: undû, revû, acrû, tabû [tabü], imbû.
- closed stressed has ú: sedús, revúd, acrús, imbúd.
The first group can also have ú: undú, revú, acrú, imbú. The use of û upholds an aesthetic practice (the Renaissance alexandrine accentuation) to avoid a rising accent in the last letter, e.g. in Italian così instead of cosí. French only breaks this rule for final -é, while final -ú is avoided in all Romance languages.
- open unstressed has u: menu, valu, vertu, issu, rètinu.
- closed unstressed has ue: menues, values, issued, rèvenues.
For the open unstressed group, cf. Chaucer valu, vertu, issu. In the closed unstressed group, u could be confused with unstressed doug in the last syllable. Hence pròduct with doug and pròdues with hugh/luke.

Monks at Sherborne Abbey update the Bloo Bouk with revised spelling keys to reflect the grammar of a new emerging language (now known as Middle English), late 13th century.
