How do I make my iPhone ring for phone calls but be silent for email? As a newbie on an iPhone 5, please how do I set up my phone to give an audible ringtone when I get a phone call, but remain silent when I get an email?
Open up Settings > Notification Center > Mail, then change the Alert Sound to None. This will silence any sounds when you get an email.

By default phone calls make a sound, so there is nothing you need to change for that.