Which area studies the internal structure of words?

• A. Syntax
• B. Morphology
• C. Pragmatics
• D. Semantics

Answer: (B)

Morphology is the area that focuses on the internal structure of words. It looks inside words to break them into morphemes—the smallest units that carry meaning or grammatical function. For example, in unbelievable, you can see un- (a prefix), believe (the root), and -able (a suffix). In cats, you have cat plus the plural ending -s. Understanding these pieces shows how words form and change to express different meanings, tenses, numbers, or parts of speech, and how new words are created through derivation and compounding.

By contrast, syntax studies how words combine into phrases and sentences; semantics deals with meaning in words and sentences; pragmatics focuses on how language is used in real situations. So the internal structure of words is best explained by morphology.