What is tokenization in natural language processing?

Tokenization in natural language processing refers to the process of dividing text into smaller units known as tokens, which are typically individual words or phrases. This is a crucial step in text processing and analysis, as it prepares the data for further operations such as parsing, interpretation, or machine learning tasks. By breaking down a sentence into its constituent words, algorithms can better analyze language patterns, perform sentiment analysis, and other language-related tasks.

The significance of tokenization lies in its ability to create a manageable and structured form of language data, which serves as the foundational step for understanding and manipulating text. Without tokenization, processing continuous text would be challenging as the relationships between words and their meanings would remain obscured.

In contrast, the other options pertain to different aspects of natural language processing: splitting sentences into phrases, understanding the cultural context of language, and analyzing sentence structure, but none accurately defines tokenization itself.