The following documentation is located at Template:accent/documentation.

Useful links: subpage list • links • redirects • transclusions • errors (parser/module) • sandbox (diff)

Use this template to specify an accent qualifier for a pronunciation. |1= should contain the language code for the accent in question; you can leave this blank for non-language-specific accent qualifiers. |2=, |3=, etc. should contain the accent qualifiers.

Accent qualifiers are substantially the same as the labels specified using {{lb}}, and support all the syntax described there, including pseudo-context qualifiers such as _ and or; double angle bracket notation; and display overrides using !. Currently, the only differences between {{lb}} and {{a}} are that (a) {{a}} does not categorize, while {{lb}} does; (b) some labels display differently when used as accent qualifiers, in a way that is more appropriate to pronunciation specifications. Examples of labels that display differently:

• The English label Australia (alias Australian, AU, Aus, etc.) displays as Australia and links to the Wikipedia article on Australian English when used with {{lb}}, but displays as General Australian (the name of the standard Australian accent) and links to Australian English phonology when used with {{a}}. Similar changes happen with the South Africa and New Zealand labels (in the latter case, only the Wikipedia article changes).
• The Latin label Ecclesiastical Latin (alias Ecclesiastical, EL., etc.) displays as Ecclesiastical Latin and links to Ecclesiastical Latin when used with {{lb}}, but displays as modern Italianate Ecclesiastical and links to Latin phonology and orthography#Ecclesiastical pronunciation when used with {{a}}.
• The (ancient) Egyptian labels Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian, Medio-Late Egyptian and Late Egyptian display as such when used with {{lb}}, but display as reconstructed Old Egyptian, reconstructed Middle Egyptian, etc. when used with {{a}}.
• The Hebrew label Biblical Hebrew (alias hbo, etc.) links to Biblical Hebrew when used with {{lb}}, but links to Biblical Hebrew#Phonology when used with {{a}}.

Various pronunciation templates, e.g. {{IPA}}, {{enPR}}, {{homophones}}, {{rhymes}}, {{audio}} and {{hyphenation}}, support specifying accent qualifiers using the |a= (left qualifier) and |aa= (right qualifier) parameters, as well as (in the case of templates supporting multiple pronunciations) pronunciation-specific parameters |aN= and |aaN= and inline modifiers <a:...> and <aa:...>. These should be used in preference to separately specifying the accent qualifier(s) using {{a}}, when possible. This means that the main use of {{a}} itself (rather than one of the parameter variants) is when not next to a pronunciation template, such as when on a line by itself or next to a translation template ({{t}}, {{t+}}, etc.).

The main difference between accent qualifiers and plain qualifiers specified using {{q}} is that the latter always display as-is and never have links automatically added, while accent qualifiers may (specifically, when they correspond to a recognized label) display differently and may have automatic links added. Unrecognized accent qualifiers display as-is and don't link, just like plain qualifiers, so when using a combination of recognized labels and unrecognized raw text, prefer an accent qualifier over a plain qualifier.

To add a new recognized accent qualifier, add it as a label. See Module:labels/data for more information.

Examples:

1. A simple use of {{a}}:

* {{a|en|RP}}

displays as

• (Received Pronunciation)

2. A use of the |a= parameter:

* {{IPA|en|/θɹiː ɹiːdʒn̩z/|a=GA,RP,Canada}}

displays as

• (General American, Received Pronunciation, Canada) IPA^(key): /θɹiː ɹiːdʒn̩z/

3. A use of the |a= parameter along with the <a:...> inline modifier:

* {{IPA|en|a=UK|/djuːp/|/dʒuːp/<a:yod coalescence>}}

displays as

• (UK) IPA^(key): /djuːp/, (yod-coalescence) /dʒuːp/

4. A use of the |aa1= and |aa2= parameters, using double angle bracket notation:

* {{homophones|en|whirled|aa1=with both the <<wine-whine>> and <<fern-fir-fur>>|;|whorled|aa2=with both mergers, <<RP>> only}}

displays as

• Homophones: whirled (with both the wine–whine merger and fern–fir–fur merger); whorled (with both mergers, Received Pronunciation only)

5. A use of the <aa:...> inline modifier, using double angle bracket notation and ! to force a label to display a particular way:

* {{homophones|en|whore|hoar<aa:some <<rhotic>> <<US!American>> accents with the <<horse-hoarse>>>}}

displays as

• Homophones: whore, hoar (some rhotic American accents with the horse–hoarse merger)

Readers can customize the styles using WT:PREFS or by editing their personal CSS files (e.g. Special:Mypage/monobook.css), as described in WT:CUSTOM.

• {{label}}, {{sense}}, {{qualifier}}