Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
grapheme
Noun
/ˈɡræfiːm/
Definition
A grapheme is the smallest functional unit of a writing system. It can represent a sound or a particular meaning.
Examples
- The letter ‘a’ is a single grapheme, while ‘ch’ is a digraph made of two graphemes.
- In the word ‘cat’, each letter is a separate grapheme.
- Graphemes can vary between different languages, like the Turkish ‘i’ which has a dot over it.
Meaning
In linguistics, graphemes are the written symbols that correspond to phonemes (sounds) in spoken language, like letters or combinations of letters.
Synonyms
- Symbol
- Letter
- Character
