What term describes the awareness of how word parts (morphemes) combine to form words?

• A. Morphological awareness
• B. Phonological awareness
• C. Syntactic awareness
• D. Semantic awareness

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is how word parts combine to form words, which is described by morphological awareness. This term refers to noticing and understanding morphemes—the smallest units of meaning in a word—such as roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and how they fit together to create new words or alter meaning. For example, in the word unhappiness, you can see un- as a prefix meaning not, happy as the root, and -ness as a suffix turning the adjective into a noun. Recognizing these parts helps you decode unfamiliar words and see connections across related terms. This focuses specifically on word formation and modification, rather than just the sounds of words (phonological awareness), the grammar of sentences (syntactic awareness), or overall word meanings in isolation (semantic awareness).