1. Semantics: Understanding the word's meaning. This includes:
* Denotation: The literal, dictionary definition of the word.
* Connotation: The emotional or cultural associations connected to the word.
* Synonyms and antonyms: Understanding words with similar and opposite meanings.
2. Morphology: Understanding how the word is formed. This includes:
* Word roots and affixes: Recognizing the basic building blocks of words and their suffixes, prefixes, and inflections.
* Compound words: Understanding how words are combined to create new meanings.
3. Syntax: Understanding how the word functions grammatically within a sentence. This includes:
* Part of speech: Recognizing whether the word is a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc.
* Word order and grammatical rules: Knowing how the word interacts with other words in a sentence.
4. Pragmatics: Understanding the context in which the word is used. This includes:
* Social context: Recognizing how the word's meaning can change depending on who is speaking and the situation.
* Colloquialisms and idioms: Understanding the informal or figurative meanings of words.
5. Phonology: Understanding how the word sounds. This includes:
* Pronunciation: Knowing how to say the word correctly.
* Stress and intonation: Understanding the rhythm and emphasis placed on different syllables.
6. Orthography: Understanding how the word is spelled. This includes:
* Letter recognition and spelling rules: Being able to recognize and spell the letters in the word.
* Homophones: Understanding words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.
7. Usage: Knowing how the word is commonly used in different contexts. This includes:
* Formal vs. informal language: Understanding when it is appropriate to use the word.
* Literary vs. colloquial usage: Recognizing the different ways the word is used in different types of writing.
8. Vocabulary Acquisition: Knowing how to learn new words effectively. This includes:
* Contextual learning: Learning words through reading, listening, and speaking.
* Active recall and repetition: Practicing and reviewing new words to solidify their meaning and usage.
Knowing a word involves a complex and multi-faceted process. It is not a one-dimensional concept but rather a dynamic interplay of different linguistic and cognitive skills.