Which of the following best describes the rime of a word?

The rime of a word is correctly described as the part that includes the vowel and any subsequent sounds within the syllable. It focuses on the vowel sound and what follows it, distinguishing it from the onset, which is the beginning consonant sound or sounds before the vowel.

For example, in the word "cat," the rime is "at," which contains the vowel "a" and the consonant "t" that follows it. This component is essential in phonics instruction as it helps students with word recognition and phonemic awareness by allowing them to identify patterns in different words that share the same rime, such as "bat," "rat," and "mat."

In contrast, the other options, which emphasize either the beginning sounds or suggest the entirety of the syllable, do not accurately capture the essence of what a rime represents within phonology. The focus on just the ending sounds also misses the inclusion of the vowel that is central to understanding rimes. Thus, identifying the rime as the part that includes the vowel is crucial for literacy development and understanding of language structure.