Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) Foundations of Reading Practice Exam

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What is a morpheme?

  1. The largest unit of sound in language

  2. The smallest meaningful unit of language

  3. A combination of phonemes in a word

  4. A letter combination that represents a sound

The correct answer is: The smallest meaningful unit of language

A morpheme is defined as the smallest meaningful unit of language. This includes not only whole words but also prefixes, suffixes, and roots that carry meaning. For example, in the word "unhappiness," there are three morphemes: "un-" (a prefix meaning 'not'), "happy" (the root word), and "-ness" (a suffix that denotes a state or condition). Each of these components contributes to the overall meaning of the word. Understanding morphemes is crucial in reading development because it helps learners break down complex words into manageable parts, improving their decoding skills and comprehension. By recognizing morphemes, students can better grasp the meanings of unfamiliar words by understanding the roles of different prefixes and suffixes.