This paper investigates unequal error protection (UEP) in digital semantic communication, where semantically important bits require substantially higher reliability than less critical ones. To characterize this heterogeneity, we introduce a novel perspective that treats learned bit-flip probabilities of semantic bits as target error protection levels, thereby directly linking semantic importance to bit-level reliability. This formulation reveals that the required protection levels of the semantic bits may differ by several orders of magnitude, making short-block coding more advantageous than conventional long-block designs. Motivated by this, we develop two UEP frameworks that minimize total blocklength under heterogeneous reliability constraints. First, we propose a bit-level UEP framework based on repetition coding, providing an analytically tractable solution that precisely meets per-bit protection requirements. Second, to improve energy and blocklength efficiency, we design a block-level UEP framework in which the semantic bits are partitioned into short blocks with similar protection levels. Guided by finite blocklength capacity analysis, we derive a closed-form threshold condition for beneficial partitioning and develop a systematic algorithm for integrating modern channel codes. Simulation results on image transmission tasks demonstrate substantial gains in both task performance and transmission efficiency compared with conventional equal-protection schemes.

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