Which term refers to the sounds of words and their proper pronunciation?

Which term refers to the sounds of words and their proper pronunciation?

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

Answer: (C)

Phonology is the study of how sounds function in a language—the system of sounds and the rules for how they combine and are pronounced. It covers which sounds exist in the language (phonemes), how syllables are formed, where stress falls, and how intonation or rhythm can change meaning or emphasis. This focus on sound patterns and pronunciation distinguishes it from semantics (meaning of words), morphology (word formation and structure), and inflection (changes to a word’s form for tense, number, etc.). So the term that refers to the sounds of words and their proper pronunciation is phonology.

Phonology is the study of how sounds function in a language—the system of sounds and the rules for how they combine and are pronounced. It covers which sounds exist in the language (phonemes), how syllables are formed, where stress falls, and how intonation or rhythm can change meaning or emphasis. This focus on sound patterns and pronunciation distinguishes it from semantics (meaning of words), morphology (word formation and structure), and inflection (changes to a word’s form for tense, number, etc.). So the term that refers to the sounds of words and their proper pronunciation is phonology.