Mississippi Foundations of Reading Practice Test

Which skill involves "sounding it out" when encountering a new word?

1. Decoding

2. Blending

3. Alliteration

4. Affixing

The correct answer is: Decoding

Decoding is the skill that involves "sounding it out" when encountering a new word. This process requires the reader to use their knowledge of letter-sound relationships to break down a word into its individual phonemes, allowing them to pronounce and understand it. This is a fundamental skill in reading, as it helps individuals move from recognizing letters to articulating words. In contrast, blending involves combining individual sounds or syllables to form a word, which is a different aspect of reading that follows decoding. Alliteration refers to the occurrence of the same initial consonant sound in closely positioned words, primarily used in poetry and prose for stylistic effect, while affixing deals with the use of prefixes and suffixes to modify the meanings of root words. These concepts, while related to language and reading, do not pertain specifically to the act of "sounding out" new words as decoding does.