56. Which of the following words contains two phonemes?
Answer: A
Eight contains two phonemes.
The word "eight" is composed of two distinct sounds: /eɪ/ and /t/. This classification makes it the correct answer as it clearly demonstrates the presence of two phonemes.
A) Eight
This option is correct because "eight" consists of two phonemes: the vowel sound /eɪ/ and the final consonant sound /t/. This segmentation aligns with the definition of phonemes as the smallest units of sound in speech.
B) House
The word "house" contains three phonemes: /h/, /aʊ/, and /s/. Therefore, it does not meet the criteria of having only two phonemes, making this option incorrect.
C) Soap
"Soap" is made up of three phonemes: /s/, /oʊ/, and /p/. This indicates that it exceeds the requirement of having two phonemes, thus this option is also incorrect.
D) Little
The word "little" contains four phonemes: /l/, /ɪ/, /t/, and /l/. Since it has more than two phonemes, this option does not satisfy the question's criteria.
Conclusion
The correct answer, "eight," effectively illustrates the concept of phonemes by having precisely two distinct sounds. In contrast, the other options either contain more than two phonemes or do not fit the requirement at all, reinforcing why they are not suitable answers.