The basic sounds of language that can be combined to produce words and sentences are called __________.

The basic sounds of language that can be combined to produce words and sentences are called phonemes. Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in a language that can distinguish meaning. For instance, the difference between the words "bat" and "pat" is the first phoneme; /b/ and /p/ are distinct phonemes that change the meaning of the words. Phonemes can be combined in various ways to form syllables, words, and ultimately sentences, playing a crucial role in the phonological structure of languages. Understanding phonemes is essential in fields such as linguistics, language acquisition, speech therapy, and phonetics, as they provide insight into how language is structured and processed by speakers and learners.