Anthropology Practice Test 2025 – The Comprehensive All-in-One Guide for Exam Success

Question: 1 / 400

What are minimal sound contrasts that distinguish meanings in a language called?

Morphemes

Phonemes

The correct answer, "phonemes," refers to the minimal sound units in a language that can change meaning. For example, the difference in sounds between "bat" and "pat" illustrates how changing a single phoneme alters the word's meaning. Phonemes are the building blocks of speech sounds in any given language, and they can create distinctions in meaning that are crucial for understanding and communication.

Morphemes represent the smallest units of meaning in a language, rather than sound distinctions. Syllables are larger units of sound that typically include a vowel sound and one or more consonants, but they do not specifically address the distinction between meanings alone. The lexicon refers to the complete set of words and their meanings in a language, not the sounds themselves. Thus, phonemes are the specific sound contrasts that play a vital role in linguistic meaning.

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Syllables

Lexicon

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