This introduction covers Palabras interrogativas — Question Words Always Have Accents within Stress patterns + written accents for GCSE Spanish. Revise Stress patterns + written accents in Phonics & Pronunciation (SSC) for GCSE Spanish with 11 exam-style questions and 10 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 3 of 4 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
❓ Palabras interrogativas — Question Words Always Have Accents
Every question word in Spanish carries a written accent. The same word without an accent is a conjunction or relative pronoun — completely different role in the sentence.
| With accent (question word) | Without accent (conjunction / relative) |
|---|---|
| ¿qué? — what? | que — that, which |
| ¿cómo? — how? | como — like, as |
| ¿dónde? — where? | donde — where (relative) |
| ¿cuándo? — when? | cuando — when (conjunction) |
| ¿quién? — who? | quien — who (relative) |
| ¿cuánto/a? — how much? | cuanto — as much as |
⭐ The rule to remember
Question words = accented. Same word in a statement = no accent. This applies in both direct questions (¿Qué haces?) and indirect questions (No sé qué hacer — I don't know what to do).