Which cueing system is used when a reader looks for word synonyms to understand meaning?

• A. Semantic
• B. Graphophonic
• C. Pragmatic
• D. Syntactic

Answer: (A)

Semantic cueing is about using meaning to understand text. When a reader encounters an unfamiliar word and looks for a synonym or a related term, they’re tapping into knowledge about word meanings and how words relate to each other in context. This helps infer the overall sense of a sentence or passage from meaning, not from how the word sounds or how the sentence is built.

Graphophonic cues involve letter-sound relationships and decoding sounds; syntactic cues rely on grammar and sentence structure to derive meaning; pragmatic cues depend on social context and how language is used in real situations. Those approaches don’t center on meaning through synonym knowledge in the same way. So, semantic is the best fit.