Which term refers to the written representation of a phoneme using one or more letters, such as the "s" or the "oo" in spoon?

Which term refers to the written representation of a phoneme using one or more letters, such as the "s" or the "oo" in spoon?

• A. Grapheme
• B. Phoneme
• C. Syllable
• D. Onset

Answer: (A)

The written form of a single sound is a grapheme. A grapheme can be one letter or multiple letters that together represent one phoneme. In spoon, the sound /s/ is written as the letter s, and the sound /uː/ is written as the two letters oo, a digraph that represents that single phoneme. The other terms describe different ideas: a phoneme is the actual sound itself (not its written form), a syllable is a unit of rhythm in a word, and an onset is the initial consonant sound (or cluster) of a syllable.

The written form of a single sound is a grapheme. A grapheme can be one letter or multiple letters that together represent one phoneme. In spoon, the sound /s/ is written as the letter s, and the sound /uː/ is written as the two letters oo, a digraph that represents that single phoneme.

The other terms describe different ideas: a phoneme is the actual sound itself (not its written form), a syllable is a unit of rhythm in a word, and an onset is the initial consonant sound (or cluster) of a syllable.