Mississippi Foundations of Reading Practice Test

Which term refers to a series of letters that represent the same phonological unit in different words, such as "ight" in "flight"?

1. Phoneme

2. Phonogram

3. Rime

4. Pseudoword

The correct answer is: Phonogram

The correct term in this context is "phonogram." A phonogram refers to a group of letters that represents a specific phonological unit, such as a particular sound in different words. In the example "ight," it demonstrates how this combination of letters produces the same sound in various words, like "flight," "light," and "sight." Phonograms are essential in teaching reading and spelling because they help students recognize patterns in words, facilitating their ability to decode and spell new words based on known phonograms. While "rime" may seem similar, it typically refers to the vowel sound and any following consonants within a syllable, focusing more narrowly on the structure of a single syllable rather than indicating a broader set of letters across different words. Other terms like "phoneme" and "pseudoword" have distinct meanings that do not apply to the description provided in the question. Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in speech, while pseudowords are non-words used to test phonetic processing without context.