Which of the following refers to the smallest unit of sound in spoken language?

The term that refers to the smallest unit of sound in spoken language is phoneme. Phonemes are the individual sounds that make up words and can change the meaning of a word when altered. For example, changing the initial phoneme in "bat" to "cat" results in a completely different word. Understanding phonemes is crucial for language development and phonics instruction, as they serve as the building blocks for spoken language and literacy skills.

In contrast, morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in a language, which can be whole words or parts of words (like prefixes or suffixes). Syntax refers to the set of rules that govern sentence structure and word order in a language. Pragmatics deals with the social language skills used in context, such as understanding tone, implied meanings, and conversational norms. Each of these aspects is important, but when it comes to identifying the smallest sound unit in spoken language, phonemes are the correct focus.