Wisconsin FORT (Foundations of Reading) Practice Test

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What does the term "onset" refer to in linguistics?

A meaningful linguistic unit that cannot be divided into smaller meaningful elements
The ability to relate new words to known words
The part of the letter pattern in a word that includes the vowel and any consonants that follow
The initial part of a word (a consonant, consonant blend, or digraph) that precedes the vowel

The correct answer is: The initial part of a word (a consonant, consonant blend, or digraph) that precedes the vowel

In linguistics, the term "onset" refers to the initial part of a word that precedes the vowel. It includes the consonant, consonant blend, or digraph that comes before the vowel in a syllable. Understanding onsets helps in phonics instruction and decoding skills as it is crucial in recognizing and pronouncing words correctly. Option A is not correct as it describes a morpheme, which is a meaningful linguistic unit that cannot be divided into smaller meaningful elements. Option B is not correct as it refers to the ability to relate new words to known words, which is more related to vocabulary acquisition and semantic knowledge. Option C is not correct as it defines the letter pattern in a word that includes the vowel and any consonants that follow, but it does not specifically refer to the onset, which is only the consonant(s) before the vowel in a syllable.