A capacitive microelectromechanical acceleration sensor which comprises - at least one partly mobile proof mass which is configured to move in the direction of a sense axis when the sensor undergoes acceleration in the direction of the sense axis, - one or more rotor measurement plates and one or more first rotor damping plates attached to the proof mass, - one or more stator measurement plates and one or more first stator damping plates attached to a fixed structure in the sensor, wherein the one or more rotor measurement plates and the one or more stator measurement plates are configured so that the movement of the proof mass in the direction of the sense axis can be measured in a capacitive measurement conducted between them, and the one or more first rotor damping plates and the one or more first stator damping plates form a first set of substantially parallel plates which are substantially orthogonal to a first damping axis, and the gaps between the one or more first rotor damping plates and the one or more first stator damping plates are between 0.5 μm and 5 μm, so that they are configured to be sufficiently narrow to facilitate gas damping in the direction of the first damping axis, wherein the first damping axis lies in the substrate plane and is substantially orthogonal to the sense axis, the sensor is an in-plane sensor where the sense axis lies in the substrate plane, and the sensor further comprises one or more second rotor damping plates attached to the proof mass and one or more second stator damping plates attached to a fixed structure in the sensor, wherein the one or more second rotor damping plates and the one or more second stator damping plates form a second set of substantially parallel plates which are substantially orthogonal to a third damping axis, and the gaps between the one or more second rotor damping plates and the one or more second stator damping plates are between 0.5 μm and 5 μm, so that they are configured to be sufficiently narrow to facilitate gas damping in the direction of the third damping axis, wherein the third damping axis is substantially parallel to the sense axis. - at least one partly mobile proof mass which is configured to move in the direction of a sense axis when the sensor undergoes acceleration in the direction of the sense axis, - one or more rotor measurement plates and one or more first rotor damping plates attached to the proof mass, - one or more stator measurement plates and one or more first stator damping plates attached to a fixed structure in the sensor, wherein the one or more rotor measurement plates and the one or more stator measurement plates are configured so that the movement of the proof mass in the direction of the sense axis can be measured in a capacitive measurement conducted between them, and the one or more first rotor damping plates and the one or more first stator damping plates form a first set of substantially parallel plates which are substantially orthogonal to a first damping axis, and the gaps between the one or more first rotor damping plates and the one or more first stator damping plates are between 0.5 μm and 5 μm, so that they are configured to be sufficiently narrow to facilitate gas damping in the direction of the first damping axis, wherein the first damping axis lies in the substrate plane and is substantially orthogonal to the sense axis, the sensor is an in-plane sensor where the sense axis lies in the substrate plane, and the sensor further comprises one or more second rotor damping plates attached to the proof mass and one or more second stator damping plates attached to a fixed structure in the sensor, wherein the one or more second rotor damping plates and the one or more second stator damping plates form a second set of substantially parallel plates which are substantially orthogonal to a third damping axis, and the gaps between the one or more second rotor damping plates and the one or more second stator damping plates are between 0.5 μm and 5 μm, so that they are configured to be sufficiently narrow to facilitate gas damping in the direction of the third damping axis, wherein the third damping axis is substantially parallel to the sense axis.