The study of the sound system of a language. It looks at how sounds (phonemes) are organized and used to distinguish meaning, such as the difference between the "b" in bat and the "p" in pat .
The study of literal meaning. It explores how words and sentences convey specific concepts and how those meanings relate to one another. Key Concepts in Language and Linguistics
Linguists typically break language down into five fundamental components: The study of the sound system of a language