Oregon Educator Licensure Assessments (ORELA) Practice Exam

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Which term refers to written symbols used to represent phonemes?

Phonemes
Orthography
Graphemes
Syllables

The correct answer is: Graphemes

The term that refers to written symbols used to represent phonemes is "graphemes." Graphemes are the smallest units of written language that correspond to phonemes, which are the distinct units of sound in a language. For instance, in the word "cat," the letters 'c,' 'a,' and 't' each represent individual phonemes, and each of these letters can be considered a grapheme. In contrast, phonemes themselves are the sounds and not the written representation. Orthography relates to the conventional spelling system of a language, encompassing all the rules and practices for writing. Syllables refer to the units of sound organized around a vowel sound, which can comprise one or more consonant sounds preceding or following it but do not directly relate to the representation of phonemes in written form. Thus, graphemes play a crucial role in connecting sounds with their written symbols.