Levels of Linguistic Analysis

Syntax

Study of the structure of phrases and sentences, including word order and syntactic trees.

Morphology

Study of word structure, including how words are built from smaller meaningful parts.

Phonetics

Study of speech as a physical process, including how sounds are produced and their acoustic properties.

Phonology

Study of the sound systems and sound patterns of languages.

Pragmatics

Study of how speakers and writers use language to communicate meaning in context.

Semantics

Study of the meanings of words, phrases, and sentences.

Lexicon

Inventory of morphemes, words, and fixed phrases in a language.

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics studies the physical production of speech sounds; phonology studies how sounds are organized within a language.

Morphology vs. Syntax

Morphology studies word structure; syntax studies phrase and sentence structure.

Semantics vs. Pragmatics

Semantics focuses on linguistic meaning; pragmatics focuses on meaning communicated through context and speaker intentions.