Consider the following English words that are similar except for the beginning sound: cat and rat. The /c/ and the /r/ are called:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The /c/ and the /r/ are phonemes, which are the smallest units of sound that can create a difference in meaning in a language. In this case, changing the initial phoneme changes the meaning of the word from "cat" to "rat". Morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in a language, syntax refers to how words are structured to create sentences, semantics refers to the meaning of words and sentences, and proxemics refers to the study of communication through physical distance.

Consider the Following English Words That Are Similar Except for the Beginning