Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) Foundations of Reading Practice Exam

What is a grapheme?

1. A phoneme associated with a letter

2. A letter or letter combination that spells a phoneme

3. The meaning of a word in linguistics

4. A type of syllable structure

The correct answer is: A letter or letter combination that spells a phoneme

A grapheme is accurately defined as a letter or letter combination that represents a phoneme, which is the basic unit of sound in a language. This definition encompasses both single letters, such as "a" or "b," as well as combinations of letters, like "ch" or "th," which together represent a single phonemic sound. Understanding graphemes is crucial in the study of phonics and reading instruction since they form the foundation for decoding written language. In the context of literacy development, recognizing and using graphemes is essential for children as they learn to read, allowing them to connect written symbols with their corresponding sounds. This skill is foundational in building reading fluency and comprehension. While some of the other options discuss components of language, they do not accurately capture the essence of what a grapheme is. For instance, a phoneme associated with a letter does not reflect the broader concept of combinations of letters that can represent sounds. Similarly, discussing meanings of words or syllable structures diverges from the specific representation of sound through written symbols, which is the focus of graphemes.