Which skill is involved in encoding, the process of linking sounds to letters?

Which skill is involved in encoding, the process of linking sounds to letters?

• A. Segmenting phonemes
• B. Encoding sounds to letters
• C. Decoding words
• D. Reading comprehension

Answer: (B)

Encoding is the process of turning spoken sounds into written letters. It’s about mapping each phoneme to its corresponding grapheme when you spell a word. For example, when you hear the sounds /k/ /æ/ /t/ and write c-a-t, you are encoding. This is the spelling side of phonics—the skill that links sounds to letters. Decoding, by contrast, is reading: turning written letters back into sounds. Segmenting phonemes is a related skill that helps you hear the individual sounds, which supports encoding, but the act of encoding specifically is about linking those sounds to letters. Reading comprehension focuses on understanding meaning, not on linking sounds to letters.

Encoding is the process of turning spoken sounds into written letters. It’s about mapping each phoneme to its corresponding grapheme when you spell a word. For example, when you hear the sounds /k/ /æ/ /t/ and write c-a-t, you are encoding. This is the spelling side of phonics—the skill that links sounds to letters. Decoding, by contrast, is reading: turning written letters back into sounds. Segmenting phonemes is a related skill that helps you hear the individual sounds, which supports encoding, but the act of encoding specifically is about linking those sounds to letters. Reading comprehension focuses on understanding meaning, not on linking sounds to letters.