tonic accent


noun
  1. prominence given to a syllable in speaking, usually due to a change, especially a rise, in pitch.

Origin of tonic accent

1
First recorded in 1865–70

Words Nearby tonic accent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tonic accent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tonic accent

tonic accent

noun
  1. emphasis imparted to a note by virtue of its having a higher pitch, rather than greater stress or long duration relative to other notes

  2. another term for pitch accent

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012