pretonic

adjective

pre·ton·ic ˌprē-ˈtä-nik

of a vowel or syllable

: immediately preceding a syllable having stress or accent

Word History

Etymology

pre- + tonic entry 2

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of pretonic was in 1840

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Browse Nearby Words

pretone

pretonic

pretor

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Pretonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretonic. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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