In the study of the structure of language, the smallest distinctive sound unit is called a:

• A. morpheme
• B. phoneme
• C. grapheme
• D. syllable

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the question is asking for the term that refers to the smallest distinctive sound unit in the study of language structure.
2. Recall that in linguistics, a 'phoneme' is defined as the smallest unit of sound that can distinguish meaning between words.
3. Differentiate between the options: a 'morpheme' is the smallest meaningful unit of language, a 'grapheme' is the smallest unit in written language (like a letter), and a 'syllable' is a unit of pronunciation containing a vowel sound.
4. Identify that since the question focuses on the smallest distinctive sound unit (not meaning or written form), the correct term is 'phoneme'.
5. Conclude that the answer is 'phoneme' because it specifically refers to the smallest sound unit that can change meaning in spoken language.