Which term describes the ability to read text accurately and quickly (automatic)?

Which term describes the ability to read text accurately and quickly (automatic)?

• A. Fluency
• B. Comprehension
• C. Decoding
• D. Lexicon

Answer: (A)

Fluency describes reading text accurately and quickly, with appropriate expression and phrasing. It reflects automatic word recognition, so you can read many words almost instantly and devote mental effort to understanding the meaning rather than sounding out every word. When reading fluently, accuracy and speed work together, and prosody (tone, intonation, rhythm) helps show punctuation and structure, which supports comprehension. Decoding is the ability to translate printed letters into sounds; essential early on, but not the automatic, rapid performance implied by fluency. Lexicon means vocabulary knowledge, which aids understanding but doesn’t by itself capture the fast, smooth reading of connected text. Comprehension is what you understand from the text, which fluency helps enable by freeing cognitive resources for meaning.

Fluency describes reading text accurately and quickly, with appropriate expression and phrasing. It reflects automatic word recognition, so you can read many words almost instantly and devote mental effort to understanding the meaning rather than sounding out every word. When reading fluently, accuracy and speed work together, and prosody (tone, intonation, rhythm) helps show punctuation and structure, which supports comprehension.

Decoding is the ability to translate printed letters into sounds; essential early on, but not the automatic, rapid performance implied by fluency. Lexicon means vocabulary knowledge, which aids understanding but doesn’t by itself capture the fast, smooth reading of connected text. Comprehension is what you understand from the text, which fluency helps enable by freeing cognitive resources for meaning.