Which of the following identifies the number of phonemes in the word "key"?

Rationale

The word "key" contains two phonemes.

Phonemes are the distinct units of sound in a word that distinguish one word from another. In the case of "key," it is phonetically represented as /k/ and /iː/, making a total of two phonemes.

A (Zero) YOUR ANSWER

This choice incorrectly suggests that there are no phonemes in the word "key." However, every spoken word consists of at least one phoneme, and "key" has distinct sounds that can be articulated, thus it cannot have zero phonemes.

B (One) YOUR ANSWER

This option implies that "key" has only one phoneme. While it may seem like a single sound is heard, the word consists of two distinct sounds: the /k/ sound and the /iː/ sound. Therefore, it is incorrect to identify the phoneme count as one.

C (Two) CORRECT

This is the correct identification of the phonemes in "key." The word can be broken down into the sounds /k/ and /iː/, which are the two distinct phonemes that make up the word. This understanding aligns with the phonetic structure of the word.

D (Three) YOUR ANSWER

This choice suggests that "key" has three phonemes, which is inaccurate. The word only contains the sounds /k/ and /iː/, totaling two phonemes. There are no additional sounds present in "key" that would contribute to a count of three.

Conclusion

In summary, the word "key" consists of two phonemes: /k/ and /iː/. Understanding phonemes is crucial for phonetic transcription and language studies, as they form the foundational sounds that differentiate meaning in spoken language. Recognizing the correct phoneme count aids in effective communication and linguistic analysis.

Which of the following identifies the number of phonemes in the word "key"?

The word "key" contains two phonemes.

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