The term "grapheme" refers to which of the following?

The term "grapheme" is accurately defined as a written symbol that can have meaning. In the study of phonetics and linguistics, graphemes represent the smallest units of written language, such as letters and characters, that correspond to phonemes, which are the smallest units of sound in spoken language. For example, in English, the letter "b" is a grapheme that corresponds to a specific sound.

This definition emphasizes the relationship between written language and its phonetic representation. Each grapheme contributes to the formation of words and can convey meaning independently or in combination with other graphemes. This is crucial in understanding how written language operates alongside spoken language and includes a range of symbols from various writing systems globally.

The focus on graphemes signifies the importance of the visual aspect of language and literacy, distinguishing it from phonemes, morphemes, or collections of sounds, which are relevant in the study of spoken language and broader linguistic structures.