Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA) Practice Test

A phoneme is defined as the smallest unit of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another. It does not carry meaning by itself but can change the meaning of a word when it is altered or omitted. For example, changing the phoneme /b/ in "bat" to /c/ creates a completely different word, "cat." Understanding phonemes is crucial in phonics and reading instruction, as it helps learners decode words, develop pronunciation skills, and improve their overall literacy.

The other options describe elements of language that do not align with the definition of a phoneme. A complete word is a larger unit of meaning. Emotional tone relates to the expression conveyed through voice but does not pertain to the sound units of speech. Grammatical structures involve the rules and frameworks that organize words into phrases and sentences, rather than the individual sounds themselves.