Phonological awareness is the general understanding that language can be broken down into components like sentences, words, syllables, and individual sounds. Phonemic awareness specifically refers to the ability to segment words into their individual phonemes or smallest sound units, and is a subcategory of the broader phonological awareness. Phonological awareness includes an awareness of larger linguistic units like words and syllables, while phonemic awareness focuses only on the smallest individual sounds within words.

1. Phonological
Awareness
Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness
Phonological awareness is the general appreciation of how language can be
divided into its components. For example, we speak in sentences. Sentences
can be broken down into words, words into syllables and then onset-rime.
When the word is broken down into its smallest part, individual sounds (or
phonemes), the term “phonemic awareness” is used. Phonemic awareness is
a sub skill of the broad category of phonological awareness.