What is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in oral language called?

Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to consciously recognize and manipulate the smallest units of sound, known as phonemes, in spoken language. This skill is foundational for developing reading and writing abilities, as it underpins the understanding of how letters and sounds correspond. Phonemic awareness involves tasks such as isolating sounds, blending sounds to form words, and segmenting words into individual sounds. Mastery of this skill is crucial for early literacy development, as it helps children understand that words are made up of discrete sounds that can be manipulated.

The other options focus on different aspects of sound and language processing. Speech recognition pertains to the technology or ability to convert spoken words into text, which is not directly related to the manipulation of sounds. Sound identification generally refers to recognizing sounds but does not encompass the manipulation aspect that phonemic awareness does. Aural comprehension involves understanding spoken language overall, which includes vocabulary, grammar, and context, rather than focusing specifically on individual sounds. Therefore, phonemic awareness is the most precise term for the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in oral language.