What term refers to adding, deleting, or substituting sounds in words?

The term that refers to adding, deleting, or substituting sounds in words is indeed phoneme manipulation. This skill is a critical aspect of phonemic awareness, which involves the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. Phoneme manipulation is essential for developing reading and spelling skills, as it allows learners to understand how sounds can be altered to form different words or to break words down into their constituent sounds.

For instance, when a child is asked to change the /c/ in "cat" to /h/, resulting in "hat," they are demonstrating phoneme manipulation. This ability enhances their understanding of the relationship between sounds and letters, ultimately supporting their phonics and literacy development.

Other terms in the options provided may relate to aspects of literacy but do not specifically describe the act of altering sounds in words. Phonemic awareness encompasses a broader range of skills, while orthography refers to the conventional spelling system of a language, and pattern story does not pertain to sound manipulation but rather to narrative structure.