What is the study of individual speech sounds known as?

• A. Syntax
• B. Phonetics
• C. Semantics
• D. Mental set

Answer: (B)

The study of individual speech sounds is known as phonetics. This field focuses on how sounds are produced (articulation), how they are transmitted (acoustics), and how they are perceived (auditory phonetics). Phonetics examines the physical properties of speech sounds, such as their acoustic characteristics and the ways in which they are articulated by the speech organs. This is essential for understanding language pronunciation, speech disorders, and language acquisition.

Exploring other areas of language studies shows that syntax pertains to the structure and rules that govern the combination of words into phrases and sentences, while semantics is concerned with meaning in language. Mental set is a concept used in psychology that refers to the tendency to approach problems in a particular way based on past experiences or established habits, which is unrelated to the study of speech sounds.