Concept:The smallest unit of spoken language is a phoneme, which is a distinct sound that affects meaning.
Explanation:Language is a system of symbols shared by a group to express thoughts.
It has different components:
- Phoneme: The smallest unit of sound in speech. It changes pronunciation and meaning. Example: “pen” has three phonemes /p/, /e/, /n/.
- Syntax: Rules for combining words into sentences.
- Semantics: Rules for understanding meaning of words and sentences.
- Morpheme: The smallest unit of meaning, made from phonemes. Example: “remake” has two morphemes: “re-” and “make”.
- Pragmatics: Social rules of language use.
Since the question asks for the smallest unit of spoken language, the correct component is phoneme.
Answer:Phoneme (Option A)