Final answer:
To know what the word actually says, the reader must look closely at all the letters and decode (option b) them into sound and sense.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is b. Decode. To know what the word actually says, the reader must look closely at all the letters and decode them into sound and sense. Decoding is the process of using knowledge of letter-sound relationships to accurately read words.
When we decode words, we break them down into individual sounds and blend them together to read the word. For example, if we look at the word 'cat,' we would decode it as /k/ /a/ /t/, and then blend the sounds together to say 'cat.'
In this case, the reader needs to decode the letters in the word to understand its intended meaning. By looking closely at the letters, the reader can decode them into the corresponding sounds and then make sense of the word.