Correct Response: A. Option A is correct because the word stamp is more challenging to segment than the words catch, fudge, and chase. The word stamp contains five phonemes, including blends in both syllable-initial and syllable-final positions. In particular, the two phonemes /m/ and /p/ in the final nasal blend -mp can be challenging for students to perceive and segment. Options B, C, and D are incorrect because, while the words may have complex spelling patterns, they each contain only three individual phonemes and no consonant blends: The word catch (B) contains the phonemes /k/, /ă/, and /ch/; fudge (C) contains the phonemes /f/, /ŭ/, and /j/; and chase (D) contains the phonemes /ch/, /ā/, and /s/.
