tilde
/ˈtɪldə/
noun
- A small wavy line (~) used in writing and printing, especially over the letter 'n' in Spanish to indicate the sound /nj/ (as in 'piñata'), or in mathematics and computing to show approximation or equivalence.
- The tilde symbol (~) is often used in mathematics to mean 'approximately equal to'.
- In Spanish, the word 'año' has a tilde over the 'n' to change its pronunciation.
- On many keyboards, you can type a tilde by holding Shift and pressing the key next to the number 1.
- A similar mark used in some languages as a diacritic over vowels to indicate nasalization (e.g., Portuguese 'não').
- In Portuguese, the word 'pão' has a tilde over the 'a' to show that the vowel is nasal.
- Learners of Portuguese must practice the nasal sound indicated by the tilde.
- The tilde in 'mãe' changes the sound of the vowel completely.