What is the primary focus of phonology in language?

The primary focus of phonology in language is the study of sounds in a language. This branch of linguistics examines how sounds function and pattern within a particular language, including the rules governing sound combinations, pronunciation, and stress. Phonology is concerned with the abstract, cognitive aspects of sounds, differentiating between phonemes (the smallest units of sound that can distinguish meaning) and their variations.

Understanding phonology is crucial for analyzing how different languages utilize sounds, how they create meaning, and how speech sounds are organized. It lays the groundwork for exploring related areas such as phonetics, which deals with the physical properties of sounds, and helps inform practices in areas like speech therapy, language acquisition, and linguistic anthropology. The other options pertain to different aspects of language study, such as morphology, pragmatics, and non-verbal communication, but phonology specifically relates to the sound systems of languages.