Which term describes an understanding of how spoken language is constructed?

The term that describes an understanding of how spoken language is constructed is phonemic awareness. This concept refers to the ability to recognize and manipulate the individual sounds, or phonemes, in spoken words. Phonemic awareness is a crucial skill for developing reading and writing because it helps learners understand how sounds function in language. It forms the foundation for linking sounds to letters, which is further developed through phonics.

Phonics, while related, specifically involves the relationship between phonemes and their corresponding graphemes (letters or letter combinations) in written language; it deals with the ability to decode words based on their sound-letter relationships. Diphthong pertains to a specific type of vowel sound that glides from one vowel sound to another within the same syllable, and connotation refers to the nuanced meanings or associations that a word carries beyond its literal definition. Thus, while these terms are all relevant to language and literacy, phonemic awareness directly relates to the understanding of how spoken language is constructed.