The discrete sounds of speech are called ______________.

The discrete sounds of speech are referred to as phonemes. Phonemes represent the smallest units of sound in a language that can distinguish words from one another. Each phoneme contributes to the overall meaning of a spoken word, and variations in these sounds can lead to different interpretations or understandings of what is being communicated.

For example, changing one phoneme in a word can change the word entirely, illustrating the fundamental role of phonemes in language and speech. This concept is essential for understanding how human communication is structured and is particularly relevant in the context of hearing aids, which are designed to amplify and clarify these sounds for individuals with hearing impairment.

The other terms provided in the options refer to different concepts. Formants, for instance, pertain to the resonant frequencies of the vocal tract that shape the sounds of vowels and certain consonants. Phormants appears to be a typographical error and is not a recognized term in the context of speech sounds. Speech Intelligibility Indices are measures used to assess how understandable speech is, often in relation to hearing aids or in audiological settings, rather than being discrete sounds themselves.