Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
GRAVE ACCENT
This mark (`), whose name is pronounced either GRAHV or GRAIV, is the French accent mark that indicates vowel length or quality when printed over the letters a or e in such words as chère or tout à fait or voilà. Some of the à la idioms no longer always print the grave accent in American English—for example, à la mode/a la mode and à la carte/a la carte. See also DIACRITICS.
