What is the term for the concept that letters represent sounds?

The term that describes the concept that letters represent sounds is known as the Alphabetic Principle. This principle is fundamental to reading and writing in alphabetic languages. It establishes the understanding that written letters and combinations of letters represent the phonemes (or sounds) in spoken language. Mastery of the Alphabetic Principle allows individuals to decode written words by connecting the sounds they hear to the letter symbols they see, which is a crucial skill in literacy development.

Phonemic Awareness refers specifically to the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words, but it does not explicitly connect these sounds to the letters used in writing. Orthographic Knowledge pertains to the understanding of how letters are organized and spelled in words but does not directly reflect the connection between sounds and letters. Literacy Development encompasses a broader range of skills and knowledge related to reading and writing, but it does not pinpoint the specific relationship of letters to sounds like the Alphabetic Principle does.