In a phonics lesson about multisyllabic words, the beginning of the instructional sequence shows that each word's syllables share a pattern and each syllable contains one vowel followed by a consonant. Which syllable type do all the words contain?

In a phonics lesson about multisyllabic words, the beginning of the instructional sequence shows that each word's syllables share a pattern and each syllable contains one vowel followed by a consonant. Which syllable type do all the words contain?

• A. Closed syllable
• B. Open syllable
• C. Vowel-consonant-e syllable
• D. R-controlled syllable

Answer: (A)

When a syllable ends with a consonant, the vowel inside it is typically short, which is the defining feature of a closed syllable. If every syllable in the word contains one vowel followed by a consonant, that means each syllable is closed. In a multisyllabic word, these closed syllables give each syllable its short vowel sound because the consonant “closes” the vowel. That’s why the pattern described fits closed syllables. Open syllables end with an open vowel, usually giving a long vowel sound; vowel-consonant-e syllables end with a silent e and have a long vowel; R-controlled syllables feature a vowel followed by r, which changes the vowel sound rather than simply ending with a consonant.

When a syllable ends with a consonant, the vowel inside it is typically short, which is the defining feature of a closed syllable. If every syllable in the word contains one vowel followed by a consonant, that means each syllable is closed. In a multisyllabic word, these closed syllables give each syllable its short vowel sound because the consonant “closes” the vowel. That’s why the pattern described fits closed syllables.

Open syllables end with an open vowel, usually giving a long vowel sound; vowel-consonant-e syllables end with a silent e and have a long vowel; R-controlled syllables feature a vowel followed by r, which changes the vowel sound rather than simply ending with a consonant.