Syllable Review Guide

Paper Letter A4

For teachers

This sheet is a review for students who have already met the syllable types and are now reading longer words. It prints as two sides: side one is the words and the six types, side two is the splitting steps with worked examples and ten words to try. The answers print upside down at the foot of side two.

The type names (closed, open, magic e, vowel team, r-controlled, -le) are the same ones the Syllable Practice page uses, so students can move between the sheet and the practice tool without translating. If your program uses other names (VCe, silent e, bossy r), tell students which is which.
Programs teach the types in different orders. The table here is not an order; your order is the one that counts.
The try open first rule for one consonant between vowels is the common one; if your program closes first, say so.
Print in black and white; nothing on the sheet depends on colour.

Syllable Review Guide side 1 of 2

Name

Two kinds of letters

Vowels (vow·els): a e i o u, and y when it acts like a vowel (by, ba·by, gym). We write a vowel as V.

Consonants (con·so·nants): all the other letters. We write a consonant as C.

So cat is C V C and stop is C C V C.

What is a syllable? (syl·la·ble)

A syllable is a word part with one vowel sound. Every syllable has one, and only one.

cat = 1 · rab·bit = 2 · fan·tas·tic = 3

Test it: put your hand under your chin and say the word. Your chin drops once for each syllable.

One vowel sound, not one vowel letter: rain has two vowel letters but one vowel sound, so it is one syllable.

Vowel marks

Mark	Name	Means	Examples
ă ˘	breve (brev)	short vowel	căt, bĕd, pĭn, hŏt, cŭp
ā ¯	macron (MAY·cron)	long vowel: it says its name	cāke, mē, tīme, gō, cūte
ə	schwa (shwah)	the lazy vowel: a quick “uh”	ə·bout, lem·ən, so·fə

Schwa shows up in a syllable with no stress. Any vowel letter can spell it. The spelling still tells you the syllable type.

Word patterns

Pattern	Examples	Note
CVC	cat, hop, ship	short vowel
CCVC CVCC	stop, flag, jump, hand	short vowel; blends at the start or end
CVCe	cake, time, hope	long vowel; the e is silent
CVVC	rain, boat, feet	two vowels, one sound

A digraph is two letters for one sound: sh, ch, th, wh, ck. Count it as one C, so ship is CVC.

The six syllable types

Type	Looks like	The vowel is	Examples	Clue
closed	one vowel, then a consonant shuts it in	short ˘	cat, rab·bit, nap·kin	The door is closed. The vowel is short.
open	ends in its vowel; nothing shuts it in	long ¯	go, ti·ger, mu·sic, ba·by	The door is open. The vowel runs out and says its name.
magic e	vowel, consonant, silent e (VCe)	long ¯	cake, time, rep·tile	The silent e makes the vowel say its name.
vowel team	two or more vowel letters for one sound	often long; some teams have their own sound	rain, boat, feet, night, bread	Two vowels, one sound.
r-controlled	a vowel followed by r	not short, not long: the r changes it	car, her, bird, fork, turn	Bossy r.
-le	a consonant + le at the end of a word	silent e; say the consonant + “ul”	ta·ble, lit·tle, pur·ple	Count back three letters.

Your program may teach these in a different order or use other names. The type is read from the spelling, even when the vowel fades to schwa.

How to split a long word side 2 of 2

Name

Peel off any prefix or suffix.

Read them as chunks: un- re- dis- pre- · -ing -ed -er -est -ful -less -ness -ment -ly -y. un·lock·ing → work on lock.

↓

Mark the vowels.

Put a dot under each vowel sound. A vowel team counts once. In magic e, the silent e gets no dot.

↓

Count the consonants between the vowels, then split.

Never split a digraph (sh, ch, th, ck). Keep a blend together if you can.

↓

Two consonants VC|CVSplit between them.
rab|bit, nap|kin, bas|ket

Three consonants VC|CCVKeep the blend or digraph together.
hun|dred, pump|kin, ath|lete

Ends in -leCount back three letters and split there.
ta|ble, pur|ple, can|dle

↓

Name the type of each part, then read each part.

Closed = short. Open or magic e = long. Then vowel team, r-controlled, -le.

↓

Blend the parts. Say the whole word.

Put the prefix or suffix back on. un + lock + ing → unlocking.

↓

Check: is it a real word?

No? Flex the vowel (try the other sound), move the split, or try schwa in a part with no stress.

Worked examples

fantastic

closedclosedclosed

VC|CV twice. All short.

reptile

closedmagic e

VC|CV. Short, then long.

tiger · camel

tiger

openr-contr.

camel

closedclosed

One consonant: open first, flex to closed.

purple

r-contr.-le

Count back three: p-l-e.

unlocking

prefixclosedsuffix

Peel the chunks, read the middle.

Try these

Split each word, name the types, read it.

napkinmusiccupcakesunsetrobot turtlepaintinghundredgardenunsafe