In a tone unit, what term is used for the last prominent syllable where the tone change begins?

• A. Tonic syllable
• B. Nuclear syllable
• C. Peak syllable
• D. Stress syllable

Answer: (A)

The key idea is identifying the syllable that carries the main pitch movement in a tone unit. In intonation analysis, the last prominent syllable where the tone change begins is called the tonic syllable. This syllable anchors the contour and marks the focus or meaning carried by the unit; the pitch movement starts there and shapes the rest of the rise or fall. While some sources use the term nuclear syllable, tonic syllable is the standard label in many practice contexts. The idea of a peak syllable isn’t a common term for this role, and stress syllable refers to lexical emphasis rather than the tonal nucleus.