A morpheme that can stand alone as a word is called a:

A morpheme that can stand alone as a word is called a:

• A. Bound Morpheme
• B. Affix
• C. Free Morpheme
• D. Allomorph

Answer: (C)

A morpheme that can stand alone as a word is a free morpheme. A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in language, and free morphemes are those that can function on their own as full words, carrying semantic content without needing to attach to anything else. In contrast, bound morphemes cannot stand alone—they need to attach to a base to modify meaning or indicate grammar, like the plural suffix -s or the prefix un-. The term affix covers prefixes and suffixes in general, but an affix by itself isn’t a standalone word. Allomorph refers to the different pronunciations a morpheme can take in different contexts, not to whether it can stand alone. For example, “book” is a free morpheme, and in “books,” the free morpheme “book” combines with the bound morpheme “s” to express plural.

A morpheme that can stand alone as a word is a free morpheme. A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in language, and free morphemes are those that can function on their own as full words, carrying semantic content without needing to attach to anything else. In contrast, bound morphemes cannot stand alone—they need to attach to a base to modify meaning or indicate grammar, like the plural suffix -s or the prefix un-. The term affix covers prefixes and suffixes in general, but an affix by itself isn’t a standalone word. Allomorph refers to the different pronunciations a morpheme can take in different contexts, not to whether it can stand alone. For example, “book” is a free morpheme, and in “books,” the free morpheme “book” combines with the bound morpheme “s” to express plural.