phonological awareness

noun

education

: the ability to recognize and isolate speech sounds (such as words and word parts, syllables, and different vowel and consonant sounds) : perception of the phonemes, syllables, rhymes, etc. in a language

Phonological awareness, the conscious awareness of linguistic units (syllables, rhymes, phonemes) of spoken language, is widely accepted to play an important role in learning to read.

—Mary Ann Evans and Deborah Shaw

Hearing stories read aloud helps children develop phonological awareness, understanding of narrative structure, and recognition of letters and words.

—Nicole Fowles

compare phonemic awareness

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above