Correct Answer - Option 4 : morpheme
In the speech, the smallest unit of meaning is 'morpheme' as it is the smallest unit of meaning that can't be broken up. Eg- 'un' in the word unable.
A morpheme is a meaningful linguistic unit of a word which:
- can't be divided into smaller meaningful parts.
- repeatedly convey lexical/grammatical meaning.
- assign a particular grammatical property to a word.
Hence, it could be concluded that in speech, the smallest unit of meaning is 'morpheme'.
|
syllable |
The smallest unit of speech that normally occurs in isolation, or a distinct sound element within a word. |
| Phoneme |
The smallest unit of sound makes a difference in pronunciation and meaning. Eg- thin: /th/, chin: /ch/ |
| Words |
It refers to a single unit of written/spoken language or a meaningful element of speech or writing. |
