{"id":116680,"date":"2019-01-15T19:54:49","date_gmt":"2019-01-15T18:54:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/?p=116680"},"modified":"2026-06-15T12:05:25","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T10:05:25","slug":"the-differences-between-aun-and-aun-why-does-one-have-an-accent-mark-and-the-other-doesnt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/the-differences-between-aun-and-aun-why-does-one-have-an-accent-mark-and-the-other-doesnt\/","title":{"rendered":"The Differences Between Aun and A\u00fan: Why Does One Have an Accent Mark and the Other Doesn’t?"},"content":{"rendered":"

=It has surely happened to you: you are writing a message, an email, or even an exam, and you hesitate over whether to put an accent mark (tilde<\/em>) on aun<\/em>. The truth is that these two words sound exactly the same, but their meaning and function in a sentence are very different. They are a pair of homophonous twins that, although they sound identical, have different personalities, and this is reflected in the accent mark.<\/p>\n

Aun<\/em> (without an accent) and a\u00fan<\/em> (with an accent) do not just change in writing, but also in meaning and usage. Want to stop making mistakes with them? Here is everything you need to know to use them like a Spanish professional.<\/p>\n

What is aun<\/em> without an accent?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

First, let’s talk about aun<\/em> without an accent. This is an unstressed word (meaning it does not carry a tonic accent) and functions as an adverb with an intensifying or concessive value. What does that mean? It means that in many cases, it is equivalent to words like incluso<\/em> (even), hasta<\/em> (even\/including), tambi\u00e9n<\/em> (also), or siquiera<\/em> (even if\/at least).<\/p>\n

For example, if I say:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Aun los delincuentes respetaban su autoridad.<\/em> (Even the criminals respected his authority.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    I am saying that even<\/em> the most difficult people respected that authority; that is, it applies to everyone without exception. In this sentence, if you replace aun<\/em> with incluso<\/em>, the sentence still makes perfect sense:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Incluso los delincuentes respetaban su autoridad.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Another example would be:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • No invit\u00e9 a ninguno de mis amigos, ni aun a los m\u00e1s cercanos.<\/em> (I didn’t invite any of my friends, not even the closest ones.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Here, aun<\/em> indicates that not even<\/em> the closest people were invited. You could also replace it with siquiera<\/em>:<\/p>\n

          \n
        • No invit\u00e9 a ninguno de mis amigos, ni siquiera a los m\u00e1s cercanos.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          This word can also have a concessive meaning, which means it is equivalent to aunque<\/em> (although\/even though) in some phrases. For example:<\/p>\n

            \n
          • Aun lloviendo, hac\u00eda sol.<\/em> (Even though it was raining, it was sunny.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            What this means is: aunque estaba lloviendo, hac\u00eda sol<\/em>. Here, aun<\/em> functions as a concession, meaning it admits a difficulty or condition without affecting the final result.<\/p>\n

            What is a\u00fan<\/em> with an accent?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

            On the other hand, a\u00fan<\/em> with an accent mark is an adverb of time, meaning it indicates that something is still<\/em> happening or that an action is ongoing. When you see the word with an accent mark, it means todav\u00eda<\/em> (still \/ yet).<\/p>\n

            For example:<\/p>\n

              \n
            • A\u00fan no s\u00e9 cu\u00e1ndo celebrar\u00e9 mi cumplea\u00f1os.<\/em> (I still don’t know when I will celebrate my birthday.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              This sentence indicates that, up to this moment, the person does not know the date.<\/p>\n

              Another example:<\/p>\n

                \n
              • Esta ma\u00f1ana, cuando la vi, a\u00fan estaba impresionada.<\/em> (This morning, when I saw her, she was still impressed.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Here it is used to point out that the person remained impressed at that specific moment.<\/p>\n

                  \n
                • A\u00fan no han tra\u00eddo la pizza.<\/em> (They haven’t brought the pizza yet.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  The action of bringing the pizza has not been completed yet.<\/p>\n

                  In addition, a\u00fan<\/em> can have an intensive value when it appears accompanied by adverbs such as m\u00e1s<\/em> (more), menos<\/em> (less), mejor<\/em> (better), or peor<\/em> (worse). For example:<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • A\u00fan m\u00e1s dif\u00edcil fue el examen de matem\u00e1ticas.<\/em> (The math exam was even more difficult.)<\/li>\n
                  • A\u00fan peor, olvid\u00f3 entregar la tarea.<\/em> (Even worse, he forgot to turn in the homework.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                    In these cases, a\u00fan<\/em> intensifies the idea being expressed (acting as “even”).<\/p>\n

                    How do you know when to use each one?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

                    To avoid making mistakes, a very useful rule of thumb is to try replacing the word with todav\u00eda<\/em>. If the sentence still makes sense, you must use a\u00fan<\/em> with an accent mark.<\/p>\n

                    For example:<\/p>\n

                      \n
                    • \u00bfAun puedo ir al cine?<\/em> $\\rightarrow$ \u00bfTodav\u00eda puedo ir al cine?<\/em> (Can I still go to the movies?)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                      Since the sentence makes sense with todav\u00eda<\/em>, it must have an accent mark: \u00bfA\u00fan puedo ir al cine?<\/em><\/p>\n

                        \n
                      • No invit\u00e9 a nadie, ni aun a mis amigos.<\/em> $\\rightarrow$ No invit\u00e9 a nadie, ni todav\u00eda a mis amigos.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                        Here, replacing it with todav\u00eda<\/em> does not make sense, so it goes without an accent mark: aun<\/em>.<\/p>\n

                        Fun Facts About aun<\/em> and a\u00fan<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

                        Did you know that confusion between these two words has existed for a very long time? In the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), the difference between aun<\/em> and a\u00fan<\/em> began to be emphasized in the 20th century with the introduction of the so-called “diacritical accent distinction.” This is the use of an accent mark to differentiate words that sound the same but have different meanings.<\/p>\n

                        In older texts, the accent mark was not used, and readers depended entirely on the context to understand the meaning. But to make comprehension easier, it was decided to mark the difference with an accent on a\u00fan<\/em> for the temporal adverb, and leave aun<\/em> accentless when it means incluso<\/em> or aunque<\/em>.<\/p>\n

                        Another curious fact: in many Spanish-speaking countries, this confusion is so frequent that even writers and journalists occasionally make mistakes. That is why it is a classic piece of advice in academies and schools to pay special attention to these two words.<\/p>\n

                        Exercises to Practice and Avoid Confusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

                        To make sure it’s completely clear, here are a few sentences with blank spaces. Try filling them in with aun<\/em> or a\u00fan<\/em>:<\/p>\n

                          \n
                        1. ___ no me llega la carta que esperaba.<\/em><\/li>\n
                        2. No me gusta el fr\u00edo, ___ as\u00ed ir\u00e9 contigo al parque.<\/em><\/li>\n
                        3. Te llamar\u00e9 ___ cuando termine la clase.<\/em><\/li>\n
                        4. No puedo creer que lo dijeras, ___ siendo mi amigo.<\/em><\/li>\n
                        5. El equipo, ___ con bajas, logr\u00f3 ganar el partido.<\/em><\/li>\n
                        6. ___ no entiendo por qu\u00e9 te enojas tanto.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                          If you like, here are the answers so you can self-evaluate.<\/p>\n

                          Answers<\/strong><\/h3>\n
                            \n
                          1. A\u00fan<\/em><\/strong> no me llega la carta que esperaba.<\/em> (todav\u00eda<\/em> \/ yet)<\/li>\n
                          2. No me gusta el fr\u00edo, aun<\/strong> as\u00ed ir\u00e9 contigo al parque.<\/em> (aunque<\/em> \/ even so)<\/li>\n
                          3. Te llamar\u00e9 a\u00fan<\/strong> cuando termine la clase.<\/em> (todav\u00eda<\/em> \/ even after \/ still)<\/li>\n
                          4. No puedo creer que lo dijeras, aun<\/strong> siendo mi amigo.<\/em> (aunque<\/em> \/ even though you are)<\/li>\n
                          5. El equipo, aun<\/strong> con bajas, logr\u00f3 ganar el partido.<\/em> (incluso<\/em> \/ even with)<\/li>\n
                          6. A\u00fan<\/em><\/strong> no entiendo por qu\u00e9 te enojas tanto.<\/em> (todav\u00eda<\/em> \/ still)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                            Did You Know?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

                            In addition to aun<\/em> and a\u00fan<\/em>, there are other words in Spanish that carry a diacritical accent mark to avoid confusion, such as:<\/p>\n

                              \n
                            • T\u00fa<\/em><\/strong> (personal pronoun – you) and tu<\/em><\/strong> (possessive adjective – your).<\/li>\n
                            • T\u00e9<\/em><\/strong> (the drink – tea) and te<\/em><\/strong> (object pronoun – to you\/yourself).<\/li>\n
                            • \u00c9l<\/em><\/strong> (personal pronoun – he) and el<\/em><\/strong> (definite article – the).<\/li>\n
                            • M\u00ed<\/em><\/strong> (object pronoun – me) and mi<\/em><\/strong> (possessive adjective – my).<\/li>\n
                            • S\u00ed<\/em><\/strong> (adverb of affirmation or reflexive pronoun – yes \/ oneself) and si<\/em><\/strong> (conjunction – if).<\/li>\n
                            • D\u00e9<\/em><\/strong> (from the verb dar<\/em> – to give) and de<\/em><\/strong> (preposition – of\/from).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                              Spanish is full of these little traps that make us think and learn a little bit more every day.<\/p>\n

                              In Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n
                                \n
                              • Aun<\/em><\/strong> (without an accent)<\/strong> is equivalent to incluso<\/em> (even), hasta<\/em> (including), tambi\u00e9n<\/em> (also), or aunque<\/em> (although).<\/li>\n
                              • A\u00fan<\/em><\/strong> (with an accent)<\/strong> means todav\u00eda<\/em> (still\/yet) or serves to intensify when accompanying adverbs like m\u00e1s<\/em>, menos<\/em>, mejor<\/em>, or peor<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                If you ever doubt, just remember the “todav\u00eda<\/strong>” test. If it fits, it takes an accent. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                \u201cAun\u201d vs \u201ca\u00fan\u201d: key differences in Spanish, accent rules, meanings, and usage explained with clear examples for learners and writers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":31166,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[650],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116680\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}