Which term means the smallest unit of meaning within a word?

• A. Phonemes
• B. Syllables
• C. Morphemes
• D. Lexemes

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is how words are built from the smallest pieces that carry meaning. The smallest unit of meaning is a morpheme. A morpheme can be a root word like “book” or an attached piece like a prefix or suffix such as “un-” or “-ness.” For example, in unhappiness there are three morphemes: un-, happy, and -ness. Each one adds a layer of meaning, and together they form the overall idea of not being happy.

Phonemes are the distinct sound units of a language, which shape how words sound but don’t carry meaning by themselves. Syllables are units of pronunciation that may help with rhythm and timing but aren’t about meaning. Lexemes refer to the dictionary form of a word and its related forms, representing the same item of meaning across different inflections; they’re not the smallest meaningful pieces themselves.

So, morphemes are the building blocks that encode meaning inside words, from roots to affixes.