What distinguishes statically typed languages from dynamically typed languages?

Statically typed languages are distinguished by the fact that type checking occurs at compile time rather than at runtime. This means that the data types of variables are known and checked during the compilation of the program, allowing for errors related to type mismatches to be caught early in the development process. This early detection can enhance performance and prevent certain types of bugs that may arise from unexpected type interactions during execution.

In contrast, dynamically typed languages perform type checking at runtime, allowing for more flexibility but also introducing the possibility of runtime errors if types do not match as expected. The other choices do not accurately capture the fundamental characteristics of statically typed languages, as they either describe features that are more relevant to dynamic typing or present incorrect assertions about the behavior of static types.