What does semantics study in relation to language?

Semantics is the branch of linguistics that focuses on the meanings of words, phrases, and sentences. It examines how meaning is conveyed through language, including the relationships between words and the concepts they represent. This study encompasses various aspects, such as how different contexts can influence meaning and how phrases can change in meaning based on their structure or usage. Understanding semantics is essential for effective communication and comprehension, as it allows individuals to decode and make sense of language in diverse contexts.

The other options address different aspects of language study: the sounds of speech pertain to phonetics and phonology, which analyze how speech sounds are produced and perceived; the rules of language structure relate to grammar and syntax, which govern how words are arranged to form sentences; and the social use of language relates to pragmatics, which examines how context influences language use in social interactions. Each of these areas plays a critical role in linguistics, but semantics specifically focuses on meaning.