German word

betonen

Pronunciation

IPA/bəˈtoːnən/

Meaning

  • verbemphasize

Example

Ich betone noch einmal, wie wichtig das ist.

I emphasize once again how important that is.

Illustration for betonen (emphasize)

More examples

Im Telefonat muss ich oft einzelne Wörter betonen.

In phone calls, I often have to emphasize individual words.

Core concept

A speaker makes a chosen word, fact, or idea stand out from the surrounding message.

Common phrases

  • etwas betonen

    emphasize ___

  • die Wichtigkeit betonen

    emphasize the importance

  • einen Punkt betonen

    emphasize a point

Similar words

hervorheben: Making selected information stand out and draw attention.
unterstreichen: Making an important point clear so its significance is understood.

Definition in German

durch Betonung die Aufmerksamkeit auf etwas lenken

Word origin

The verb derives from be- plus Ton ('tone'), whose history reaches through Latin tonus to Greek tonos, with -en forming the infinitive.

Usage tips

  • The noun for emphasis is die Betonung, whereas der Beton usually means concrete in modern German.

Other meanings

  • accentuateverb
  • accentverb
  • highlightverb

Opposites

  • verharmlosendownplayverb

Related words

  • Betonungemphasisnoun
  • betontemphasizedadjective

Word lists with this word