What is the term that covers the systematic study of the sound system of a language?

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

Answer: (A)

Phonology is the study of the sound system of a language, focusing on how sounds are organized into distinctive units called phonemes and the rules that govern how these sounds combine and interact in different environments. It explains why certain sounds contrast to change meaning, as in minimal pairs like pat vs bat, showing that /p/ and /b/ are separate phonemes in the language. It also covers patterns such as which sound sequences are allowed (phonotactics) and how sounds appear as different allophones in various contexts without altering meaning. By contrast, phonetics deals with the physical production and acoustic properties of sounds, while morphology and syntax address word and sentence structure, not the sound system.