Which term matches the description 'understanding letter-sound relationships to help break apart new words you have not seen before'?

Which term matches the description 'understanding letter-sound relationships to help break apart new words you have not seen before'?

• A. Semantic
• B. Decoding
• C. Graphophonemic
• D. Print Concepts

Answer: (B)

Decoding is the process of using letter-sound relationships to read unfamiliar words. It means breaking a word into its individual sounds and then blending those sounds to pronounce the word, applying knowledge of phonics like digraphs (such as sh or th) and common vowel patterns. This skill lets a reader decipher new vocabulary by translating written letters into spoken sounds, rather than guessing from appearance or relying solely on context. Mastery of decoding supports fluent reading because you can accurately map spellings to pronunciations even when you encounter words you haven’t seen before.

Decoding is the process of using letter-sound relationships to read unfamiliar words. It means breaking a word into its individual sounds and then blending those sounds to pronounce the word, applying knowledge of phonics like digraphs (such as sh or th) and common vowel patterns. This skill lets a reader decipher new vocabulary by translating written letters into spoken sounds, rather than guessing from appearance or relying solely on context. Mastery of decoding supports fluent reading because you can accurately map spellings to pronunciations even when you encounter words you haven’t seen before.