Which term describes the study of sound systems among languages, including phonemes and phonology?

• A. Phonology
• B. Morphology
• C. Semantics
• D. Pragmatics

Answer: (A)

Phonology is the study of how languages organize their sound systems, focusing on phonemes—the distinct sound units that can change meaning—and the rules that govern how those sounds can occur and interact. It explains why certain sounds contrast to create differences in meaning (such as /p/ vs /b/ in a minimal pair like pat vs bat) and how sounds change or blend in different contexts. Phonology also covers patterns of allowable sound sequences (phonotactics) and how underlying sound representations relate to actual pronunciation. In contrast, morphology looks at how words are built from meaningful pieces (morphemes), semantics deals with meaning, and pragmatics examines how context influences language use.