This exam tips covers Errores de acento — Accent Errors within Question words: qué/quién/dónde/cuándo/cómo/por qué/cuánto for GCSE Spanish. Revise Question words: qué/quién/dónde/cuándo/cómo/por qué/cuánto in Questions & Roleplay for GCSE Spanish with 13 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 4 of 4 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
❌ Errores de acento — Accent Errors
❌ Error 1: ¿Donde vives?
✅ Correcto: ¿Dónde vives?
Por qué importa: All Spanish question words must carry a written accent mark. Without the accent, donde is the relative pronoun "where" (as in "the city where I live") — not the interrogative "where?" The examiner cannot credit a question word that lacks its accent under AO3 (accuracy).
❌ Error 2: Writing ¿Por que estudias? (no accent on qué)
✅ Correcto: ¿Por qué estudias? — two words, accent on qué
Por qué importa: Porque (one word, no accent) is the answer word meaning "because." Using it as the question word — or forgetting the accent on qué — creates two different errors in one: it loses the interrogative force and merges into a subordinating conjunction. Always: question = ¿por qué? (two words + accent); answer = porque (one word, no accent).