Which spelling error type does the child's spelling "pyskic" represent for the intended word "psychic"?

The child's spelling of "pyskic" for the intended word "psychic" represents a phonological error. This type of error occurs when a speller uses the sounds of the words they hear to form spellings, often substituting letters based on their phonetic understanding rather than their correct written forms. In this case, the child appears to be attempting to represent the sounds they hear in "psychic" but misapplies them, resulting in "pyskic."

Morphemic errors involve incorrect spellings that disrupt the meaningful parts of a word, and visual errors occur when a speller incorrectly reproduces words based on their shape or appearance rather than sounds. Semantic errors relate to the meaning of words, which is not applicable to this situation. The spelling "pyskic" is thus a reflection of phonological processing rather than these other categories.