Which term describes the study of the patterns of sounds in a language?

• A. Phonology
• B. Morphology
• C. Semantics
• D. Syntax

Answer: (A)

Phonology studies the patterns of sounds in a language. It looks at how sounds are organized into a system—what sounds are used (phonemes), which sounds are considered the same sound in different contexts (allophones), and how sounds interact and change in sequences (phonotactics, stress, and intonation). This explains why certain sound combinations are allowed or not, and how pronunciation varies in context. Morphology focuses on word structure and how units like roots and affixes form words; semantics deals with meaning; syntax studies how words are arranged to form sentences. So patterns of sounds belong to phonology because it is the part of linguistics that analyzes sound systems and their rules.