What is defined as the smallest part of spoken language that changes meaning?

The smallest part of spoken language that changes meaning is a phoneme. Phonemes are the individual sounds that make up words and are essential in distinguishing one word from another in a language. For example, changing a single phoneme in the word "bat" to a different sound creates a new word, such as "pat." This highlights the critical role that phonemes play in the structure of language and its pronunciation. Understanding phonemes is foundational for emergent literacy, as they are vital in phonics instruction and phonemic awareness, which are key components in teaching young children how to read and write effectively.

In contrast, syllables are larger units of sound that can consist of one or more phonemes, but they do not necessarily represent the smallest meaningful changes in language. Similarly, an onset refers to the initial consonant sound of a syllable, which, while important, does not capture the smallest sound unit that can change meaning. A word is a complete unit of meaning but is composed of multiple phonemes. Therefore, the concept of phoneme is crucial to grasping the fundamentals of language sounds and their respective meanings.