Fluent readers use which feature to convey meaning when reading aloud?

Fluent readers use which feature to convey meaning when reading aloud?

• A. Prosody
• B. Decoding speed
• C. Vocabulary breadth
• D. Phoneme awareness

Answer: (A)

Prosody—the expressive features of spoken language such as intonation, rhythm, stress, and pacing—lets fluent readers convey meaning when reading aloud. By varying pitch to signal questions or statements, emphasizing important words, and pausing at natural breaks, readers show how the text should be interpreted and emotionally charged. This helps listeners understand sentence structure, intentions, and emphasis beyond the literal words. Decoding speed, vocabulary breadth, and phoneme awareness are important foundations, but they don’t carry the same expressive meaning in speech as prosody does.

Prosody—the expressive features of spoken language such as intonation, rhythm, stress, and pacing—lets fluent readers convey meaning when reading aloud. By varying pitch to signal questions or statements, emphasizing important words, and pausing at natural breaks, readers show how the text should be interpreted and emotionally charged. This helps listeners understand sentence structure, intentions, and emphasis beyond the literal words. Decoding speed, vocabulary breadth, and phoneme awareness are important foundations, but they don’t carry the same expressive meaning in speech as prosody does.