What aspect of language deals specifically with the characteristics and rules of how words are formed?

Morphology is the branch of linguistics that focuses specifically on the structure of words and the rules that govern how they are formed. It examines the smallest units of meaning, known as morphemes, which can be whole words or parts of words, such as prefixes or suffixes. Morphology investigates how these elements combine to create new words and convey different meanings or grammatical functions.

For example, the word "unhappiness" consists of the morpheme "un-" (a prefix meaning "not"), "happy," and "-ness" (a suffix that turns an adjective into a noun), demonstrating how morphological rules shape the formation of words. This is distinct from other aspects of language, such as syntax, which deals with the arrangement of words in sentences, grammar, which encompasses all rules of language including syntax and morphology, and semantics, which concerns the meanings of words and sentences. Understanding morphology is crucial for effective reading instruction, as it helps learners decode and understand complex words.