¿Cuál es la diferencia entre como y cómo?

Question

Como sin acento es el presente del verbo comer "yo como cereal en la mañana."

Cómo con acento es la pregunta que se hace "¿Cuándo fuiste al supermecado?"

Answer 1

The difference between "como" and "cómo" is that the word with the accent (cómo) refers to a question.

For example, you would ask "¿Cómo estas?" (How are you?). Since this is a question, it needs the accent mark.

On the other hand, if you say "yo soy tan alto como tú" (I am as tall as you") como is being used as a comparison, not a question, as so does not have the accent.

A more advanced nuance is that if you do not ask a question but use "cómo" in a question-like manner, it still needs the accent mark. For example, "No sé cómo preparar una ensalada griega" (I don´t know how to make a Greek salad). Even though this is not a question, "como" is used in a question-like context ("how do you prepare a salad?") and therefore carries the accent mark.

If you are a beginner in Spanish, I would just focus on the initial comparison. If you are more advanced, there are plenty of examples that can help you distinguish when you need the accent or not.

Answer 2

Accents are used as a way to differenciate the words that write the same.