There are words in Spanish which change their meaning depending on if they do or do not have a written accent.
Let's look at "mi" vs "mí" in Spanish.
Mi in Spanish (no written accent)
Mi is a possessive adjective meaning "my".
- It has no written accent.
For example:
Bear in mind that if the possessive for my is plural, e.g. my parents, then it changes to mis (mis padres).
Mí in Spanish (written accent)
Mí is a pronoun meaning "me".
- It's always preceded by a preposition.
- It has a written accent.
For example:
We use the accent on the pronoun to differenciate it from the possessive adjective.
See also Difference between tú and tu in Spanish (you and your) (singular informal)
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