ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Grave accent

Okay kiddo, have you ever seen a symbol that looks like a tiny slanted line or a little roof above a letter? That's called a grave accent! It's a special mark that helps us know how to say words correctly.

For example, let's look at the letter "e." If we put a grave accent above it, it makes a new symbol: "è." Now when we read the word, we know that we need to say "ehh" instead of just "e." This is really helpful when we're learning new languages or trying to pronounce words we're not familiar with.

The grave accent can also be used above other letters like "a" and "u," and it can even appear in different positions depending on the language. So while it may seem like just a little line floating above a letter, it actually plays a big role in helping us communicate and understand words better!