Phoneme deletion involves which of the following?

• A. Adding a phoneme to create a new word
• B. Removing a phoneme to form a new word
• C. Replacing a phoneme to form a new word
• D. Blending phonemes to read a word

Answer: (B)

Phoneme deletion is a phonemic awareness skill where you remove one sound from a spoken word and say what remains. For example, if you say “bat” and delete the initial sound /b/, you’re left with “at,” which is another word. This shows the idea of taking away a phoneme to form a new word. That’s why removing a phoneme to form a new word is the correct description. The other actions involve adding a sound to make a new word, changing one sound for another, or blending sounds to read a word, which are different phonemic processes.