The idea that, in English, words are made up of letters that approximate the sounds heard when we speak these words is called?

The alphabetic principle refers to the understanding that there is a systematic relationship between the sounds of spoken language and the letters and spellings that represent those sounds in written language. This principle is foundational for learning to read and write in English, as it enables individuals to decode words by associating letters with their corresponding sounds. It underscores the concept that written language is a representation of oral language, facilitating the connection between phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (letters or letter groups).

While phonics also involves teaching students how to use the relationships between letters and sounds to read and write, it is often considered a method or approach that derives from the broader understanding of the alphabetic principle. Pragmatics focuses on the social aspects of language use and meaning, and fast mapping refers to the rapid learning of new words based on limited exposure, neither of which pertain specifically to the sound-letter correspondence central to reading and writing in English.