Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Individual letters refer to the single characters that make up words and sentences. Our brain processes these letters separately before recognizing them as part of a larger word.
Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in language. They are like the individual sounds that make up words, similar to how individual letters make up words.
Graphemes: Graphemes are the written representation of phonemes, which can be individual letters or combinations of letters. They are like the visual symbols that represent different puzzle pieces in a jigsaw puzzle.
Word Recognition: Word recognition is the ability to identify and understand words quickly and effortlessly. It involves processing individual letters and combining them into meaningful units, just like assembling puzzle pieces to reveal a complete image.