Which term refers to the smallest unit of language that has meaning?

The term that refers to the smallest unit of language that has meaning is a morpheme. Morphemes can be whole words, like "cat" or "run," or they can be prefixes or suffixes that attach to words to modify their meanings, such as "un-" in "undo" or "-ing" in "running." Understanding morphemes is crucial in the study of language because they are the building blocks of words, and when combined, they create complex meanings.

Phonemes, on the other hand, are the smallest units of sound in speech, which do not necessarily carry meaning by themselves. Blends are combinations of two or more consonants in speech, where each consonant sound is heard, such as in "br" or "st." Phonics refers to a method of teaching reading and writing by developing learners' phonemic awareness, focusing on the relationship between sounds and their corresponding letters or groups of letters. While these terms are relevant to the study of language and literacy, they do not fulfill the specific definition of a morpheme.