accentuation

 
Pronunciation: /əksɛntʃuˈeɪʃn/

noun

[mass noun]
  • the action or fact of accentuating or of being accentuated: the accentuation of the Treasury’s currency policy a condition with accentuation of female characteristics
  • the pattern of relative prominence of syllables in a phrase or utterance.

Origin:

late 15th century: in early use from medieval Latin accentuatio(n-); in later use (early 19th century) from accentuate