Which are examples of phonological awareness skills?

• A. Rhyming and Alliteration
• B. Grammar and punctuation
• C. Spelling and decoding
• D. Vocabulary and comprehension

Answer: (A)

Phonological awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds in spoken language. Recognizing rhymes and noticing alliteration are clear examples because they involve paying attention to sound patterns in words—patterns that exist in speech, not in printed text. This skill helps kids notice that different words can share the same ending sounds or initial sounds, which is a fundamental part of working with sounds.

Other language skills operate differently. Grammar and punctuation relate to sentence structure and written rules; spelling and decoding combine sound-to-letter mappings and reading printed words, which touches on orthography and phonics more than pure sound awareness; vocabulary and comprehension focus on word meaning and understanding what is read. So rhyming and alliteration showcase phonological awareness, while the others involve different aspects of language.