grapheme

[ graf-eem ]

noun

, Linguistics.

1. a minimal unit of a writing system.
2. a unit of a writing system consisting of all the written symbols or sequences of written symbols that are used to represent a single phoneme.

grapheme

/ ˈɡræfiːm /

noun

1. linguistics one of a set of orthographic symbols (letters or combinations of letters) in a given language that serve to distinguish one word from another and usually correspond to or represent phonemes, e.g. the f in fun, the ph in phantom, and the gh in laugh

Derived Forms

• graˈphemically, adverb

Other Words From

• gra·phemi·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of grapheme¹

First recorded in 1935–40; graph- + -eme

Word History and Origins

Origin of grapheme¹

C20: from Greek graphēma a letter

Example Sentences

For example, 'my' and 'lie' have the same phoneme at the end, but different graphemes.

From Science Daily

Every gambler trusts in a few abstract symbols – the dots on a dice, numerals, suits, red or black, the graphemes on a fruit machine – to tell them who they are.

From The Guardian

“In linguistics, a grapheme is the smallest unit of the writing system of any given language.”

From The New Yorker

And so it was designed to check only how well children were deploying their knowledge of the letter combinations or "graphemes", rather than using their knowledge of vocabulary to read.

From BBC

The consensus is that the dense connections in the synesthetes are fibers transgressing the boundary between adjacent grapheme and color areas.

From Scientific American