Which area focuses on the sound system of a language?

• A. Syntax
• B. Semantics
• C. Phonology
• D. Pragmatics

Answer: (C)

Phonology is the study of a language's sound system—how sounds are organized, which sounds are treated as distinct units, and the rules that govern how sounds can appear in sequences and change in different contexts. This focus on sounds, their patterns, and how they interact is what defines the sound system of a language. For example, phonology examines why certain sound sequences are allowed or avoided and how sounds can shift in different environments (like how a sound might be pronounced differently without changing meaning). The other areas look at different parts of language: syntax deals with how words build up into sentences, semantics concerns meaning, and pragmatics considers language use in real-world situations and implied meanings.