What understanding indicates that spoken words are composed of sounds represented by letters?

The understanding that spoken words are composed of sounds represented by letters is known as the Alphabetic Principle. This concept is foundational in reading instruction, as it establishes the connection between phonemes (the sounds in spoken language) and graphemes (the letters or letter combinations used in writing). Recognizing this connection allows learners to decode words, which is essential for developing reading skills. The Alphabetic Principle emphasizes that letters correspond to specific sounds, enabling readers to sound out words and understand how they are constructed.

Base words refer to the fundamental part of a word without any prefixes or suffixes, while blends pertain to the combination of two or more sounds to create a new sound, and affixes are prefixes or suffixes added to base words to alter their meaning. While these concepts are important in their own right, they do not directly describe the foundational understanding of how sounds and letters work together in the context of reading.