What sound manipulation skill involves changing one sound in a word to create a new word?

Phoneme substitution is the sound manipulation skill that entails changing one sound in a word to create a new word. This concept is essential in phonemic awareness, as it allows learners to understand how sounds work within words and how altering a sound can lead to the formation of a different word with a different meaning.

For example, if we take the word "cat" and substitute the initial phoneme /k/ with /h/, we create the new word "hat." This skill not only reinforces understanding of phonemes but also enhances reading and decoding skills by allowing students to play with sounds and see their impact on meaning.

Other options focus on different aspects of phonemic manipulation. Phoneme blending involves combining individual sounds to form a word, which provides a foundational skill for reading. Phoneme deletion requires removing a sound from a word to create a new word, enhancing an understanding of sound structure in words. Phoneme segmentation involves breaking a word down into its individual phonemes, which is vital for spelling and recognizing words. Each of these skills plays a crucial role in developing phonemic awareness, but phoneme substitution specifically focuses on the transformation of one sound to create a new word.