What is the smallest unit of sound in spoken language?

What is the smallest unit of sound in spoken language?

• A. Phoneme
• B. Grapheme
• C. Rime
• D. Prosody

Answer: (A)

Phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in spoken language. These are the distinct sounds that can change meaning when swapped in a word—for example, changing the first sound in “cat” from /k/ to /b/ makes “bat.” Phonemes are abstract building blocks of speech, not tied to how words are written. Grapheme refers to a written symbol or letter (or letter combination) and isn’t a spoken sound by itself. Rime is a larger unit that describes the vowel and any following consonants within a syllable, not the smallest sound on its own. Prosody covers the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech, which affects meaning and emphasis but isn’t about a single sound.

Phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in spoken language. These are the distinct sounds that can change meaning when swapped in a word—for example, changing the first sound in “cat” from /k/ to /b/ makes “bat.” Phonemes are abstract building blocks of speech, not tied to how words are written.

Grapheme refers to a written symbol or letter (or letter combination) and isn’t a spoken sound by itself. Rime is a larger unit that describes the vowel and any following consonants within a syllable, not the smallest sound on its own. Prosody covers the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech, which affects meaning and emphasis but isn’t about a single sound.