tilde: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Technical, Academic, Linguistic
Quick answer
What does “tilde” mean?
The diacritical mark ~ placed over a letter, primarily to indicate a specific phonetic value (e.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The diacritical mark ~ placed over a letter, primarily to indicate a specific phonetic value (e.g., nasalisation in Portuguese, palatalisation in Spanish) or as a mathematical operator meaning 'approximately'.
In computing, it often refers to the character (~) used as a shorthand for a user's home directory or to denote 'approximately equal to' in mathematics and logic.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Pronunciation differs slightly (see IPA).
Connotations
Neutral in both varieties; strictly a technical term.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both varieties, confined to specialised discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “tilde” in a Sentence
The word [noun] is written with a tilde.A tilde is placed over the letter [n].You can access your home directory by typing the tilde (~).Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in technical documentation for international software or font design.
Academic
Common in linguistics, mathematics, computer science, and foreign language studies.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Frequent in programming, typesetting, phonetics, and mathematics.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “tilde”
Neutral
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “tilde”
- Pronouncing it as /ˈtaɪld/ (like 'tiled').
- Confusing it with a hyphen or dash.
- Using it incorrectly in place of an apostrophe.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Its most common uses are as a diacritic in languages like Spanish (ñ) and Portuguese (ã, õ) and to mean 'approximately' in mathematics (~5).
No, it is a highly specialised term used almost exclusively in technical, linguistic, or academic contexts.
On most keyboards, you type it by holding the Shift key and pressing the key in the top-left corner (usually below the Escape key).
No, it is exclusively a noun in modern English.
The diacritical mark ~ placed over a letter, primarily to indicate a specific phonetic value (e.
Tilde is usually technical, academic, linguistic in register.
Tilde: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtɪl.də/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtɪl.də/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a tiny tidal wave (~) over a letter – that's a tilde.
Conceptual Metaphor
A MARK IS A MODIFIER; A SYMBOL IS A SHORTCUT.
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the tilde character (~) commonly used as an operator?