In linguistics, what are the smallest units of meaning in a language (that is, the smallest elements that carry meaning) called?

Introduction / Context:
This question comes from basic linguistics, the scientific study of language. Examinations often test whether you can distinguish between sound units and meaning units. Understanding these terms helps in fields such as language teaching, reading skills, and speech therapy, and it also supports better vocabulary learning strategies.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- We are asked about "smallest units of meaning in a language".
- The focus is on meaning, not sound alone.
- Options include phonemes, morphemes, syntactic rules, pragmatic cues, and syllables.

Concept / Approach:
A morpheme is the smallest unit in a language that carries meaning. For example, in the word "unhelpful", "un", "help", and "ful" are three morphemes.Each part adds meaning: negative, base idea of help, and having the quality of. Phonemes, on the other hand, are the smallest units of sound that can distinguish words, such as the "p" sound and "b" sound in "pat" and "bat". Syntactic rules, pragmatic cues, and syllables are larger or different kinds of units and do not match the definition in the question.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the phrase "smallest units of meaning" and underline the key word "meaning".
Step 2: Recall that morphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of a word, such as prefixes, roots, and suffixes.
Step 3: Compare this with phonemes, which are only sound units and may not carry meaning by themselves.
Step 4: Eliminate options that refer to rules or sentence level concepts like syntax and pragmatics.

Verification / Alternative check:
Take the word "cats". It has two morphemes: "cat" (the animal) and "s" (plural marker). The "s" changes meaning from one to more than one, so it is a morpheme. At the same time, the word contains several phonemes, the individual sounds, but the single sound "k" or "t" alone does not have meaning in English. This proves that morphemes, not phonemes, are the smallest meaningful units.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- phonemes: smallest units of sound that can distinguish words, but they usually do not carry meaning alone.
- syntactic rules: patterns for how words are arranged in sentences; these are not basic units but rules of combination.
- pragmatic cues: signals related to context, politeness, or implied meaning; they are higher level features, not smallest units.
- syllables: units of pronunciation that may contain one or more morphemes; they are not defined by meaning.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners confuse phonemes and morphemes because both are described as "smallest units" in different contexts. Always connect phonemes with sound and morphemes with meaning. Keeping this distinction clear will help you in questions on phonetics, spelling patterns, and word formation.

Final Answer:
The smallest units of meaning in a language are called morphemes.