▁example ▁hab lo ▁(' I ▁speak ') ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁hab ló ▁(' he / she / U d . ▁spoke '). ▁ ▁For ▁purposes ▁of ▁counting ▁sy ll ables ▁and ▁assigning ▁stress ▁in ▁Spanish , ▁where ▁an ▁un mark ed ▁high ▁v owel ▁is ▁followed ▁by ▁another ▁v owel ▁the ▁sequence ▁is ▁treated ▁as ▁a ▁rising ▁di ph th ong , ▁counted ▁as ▁a ▁single ▁sy ll able — un like ▁Portuguese ▁and ▁Catal an , ▁which ▁tend ▁to ▁treat ▁such ▁a ▁sequence ▁as ▁two ▁sy ll ables . ▁A ▁sy ll able ▁is ▁of ▁the ▁form ▁X A XX , ▁where ▁X ▁represents ▁a ▁con son ant , ▁perm iss ible ▁con son ant ▁cluster , ▁or ▁no ▁sound ▁at ▁all , ▁and ▁A ▁represents ▁a ▁v owel , ▁di ph th ong , ▁or ▁tri ph th ong . ▁A ▁di ph th ong ▁is ▁any ▁sequence ▁of ▁an ▁un str essed ▁high ▁v owel ▁( ▁or ▁) ▁with ▁another ▁v owel ▁( as ▁in ▁ ▁or ▁), ▁and ▁a ▁tri ph th ong ▁is ▁any ▁combination ▁of ▁three ▁v ow els ▁beginning ▁and ▁ending ▁with ▁un str essed ▁high ▁v ow els ▁( as ▁in ▁ ▁or ▁). ▁ ▁Hence ▁Spanish ▁writes ▁ ▁( no ▁acc ent ), ▁while ▁Portuguese ▁and ▁Catal an ▁both ▁put ▁an ▁acc ent ▁mark ▁on ▁ ▁( all ▁three ▁languages ▁stress ▁the ▁first ▁). ▁ ▁The ▁letter ▁ ▁is ▁not ▁considered ▁an ▁inter ruption ▁between ▁v ow els ▁( so ▁that ▁ ▁is ▁considered