Oregon Educator Licensure Assessments (ORELA) Practice Exam

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What is the relationship between phonemes and graphemes?

Phonemes are written symbols; graphemes are sounds
Graphemes are written symbols; phonemes are sounds
Both represent basic units of language
They are identical in function

The correct answer is: Graphemes are written symbols; phonemes are sounds

The relationship between phonemes and graphemes is that graphemes are the written symbols used to represent phonemes, which are the individual sounds in a language. Phonemes serve as the basic units of sound in spoken language, while graphemes are the corresponding letters or groups of letters that represent these sounds in written form. For example, the word "cat" consists of three phonemes /k/, /æ/, and /t/, which are represented by the graphemes 'c', 'a', and 't'. Understanding this relationship is crucial for literacy development, as it forms the foundation for phonics instruction, where learners connect sounds with their corresponding letters or letter combinations. This connection supports reading and spelling acquisition, as recognizing phonemes enables students to decode written text by identifying the graphemes that symbolize those sounds. Therefore, recognizing that graphemes embody the written representation of phonemes clarifies the important distinction and connection between these two essential components of language.