Oregon Educator Licensure Assessments (ORELA) Practice Exam

What is a phoneme?

1. A small unit of meaning

2. A small set of speech sounds

3. A basic unit of written language

4. A grammatical structure

The correct answer is: A small set of speech sounds

A phoneme is defined as the smallest unit of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another. It is a fundamental concept in the study of phonetics and phonology, highlighting the way sounds function in particular languages. Phonemes can vary from one language to another and are critical in understanding how sounds can blend together to form words that convey meaning. In this context, it is important to differentiate phonemes from the other concepts. The notion of a small unit of meaning refers to morphemes, which are the smallest grammatical units in a language that carry meaning. A basic unit of written language relates more closely to letters or graphemes, which represent the phonemes when written. A grammatical structure involves the arrangement of words and phrases to create sentences, which is a different aspect of language entirely. Understanding phonemes is essential in literacy education, as it lays the groundwork for phonemic awareness, spelling, and pronunciation skills.