What distinguishes phonemes from graphemes?

Phonemes and graphemes are fundamental concepts in understanding language and literacy. Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in a language that can distinguish meaning, such as the sound of "b" in "bat" or "p" in "pat." They are purely auditory and are critical in phonetics and phonology, which study the characteristics of sounds.

On the other hand, graphemes are the written symbols that represent those phonemes in written language. For example, the letter "b" is a grapheme that corresponds to the phoneme /b/. Graphemes can represent single letters, combinations of letters, or even entire characters in alphabets, making them essential in writing systems and literacy development.

This distinction highlights that phonemes relate to oral language, focusing on sound, while graphemes relate to written language, focusing on representation. Understanding this difference is crucial for teaching reading and writing because it allows educators to guide students effectively in phonemic awareness and decoding skills.