What term describes playing louder and with emphasis on certain notes?

The term that describes playing louder and with emphasis on certain notes is "accent." An accent in music indicates that a particular note should be played with more force or stress compared to the surrounding notes, making it stand out. This technique adds expressive qualities to a performance and helps convey the emotional content of the music.

In contrast, staccato refers to playing notes in a short, detached manner, which is different from emphasizing loudness. Legato focuses on smooth, connected notes with no perceptible breaks, opposing the idea of emphasizing individual notes. Dynamics, while also related to the volume of sound, encompasses the overall changes in loudness throughout a piece rather than the specific emphasis placed on individual notes. Therefore, accent is the precise term that captures the idea of emphasizing certain notes, making it the correct choice.