What is the smallest meaningful unit in a word that cannot stand on its own?

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Multiple Choice

What is the smallest meaningful unit in a word that cannot stand on its own?

Explanation:
The distinction between free and bound morphemes is being tested here. A bound morpheme cannot stand alone as a word; it attaches to a base to add grammatical or semantic information. That makes bound morpheme the smallest meaningful unit in a word that cannot stand on its own. Examples include the suffix -ed in walked, the plural -s in dogs, and the prefix un- in unhappy. Free morphemes like dog or walk can stand alone, which contrasts with bound morphemes.

The distinction between free and bound morphemes is being tested here. A bound morpheme cannot stand alone as a word; it attaches to a base to add grammatical or semantic information. That makes bound morpheme the smallest meaningful unit in a word that cannot stand on its own. Examples include the suffix -ed in walked, the plural -s in dogs, and the prefix un- in unhappy. Free morphemes like dog or walk can stand alone, which contrasts with bound morphemes.

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