What is the term for the process by which phonemes are combined to create words or syllables?

Blending refers to the process of combining individual phonemes to form words or syllables. This skill is an essential part of phonics instruction and helps students learn how to decipher words. For example, when the sounds /b/, /a/, and /t/ are blended together, they create the word "bat." This process aids in developing reading fluency and comprehension as students learn to decode unfamiliar words by recognizing how phonemes come together.

The other terms provided relate to different aspects of phonological processing. Segmentation involves breaking down words into their individual phonemes, phoneme manipulations refer to activities that involve changing, adding, or deleting phonemes in words, and phonological awareness encompasses a broader range of skills, including both blending and segmentation, but does not specifically focus on the act of combining phonemes. Thus, blending is the most accurate term for combining phonemes to create words or syllables.