ELACC5RF3: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
a. Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g.,
roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multi-syllabic words in context and out of context.
How can I use the syllabication strategy to
help decode unknown words?
Words with two or more syllables are
multisyllabic words. One way to read
longer words is to learn syllable patterns.
Once you can break them into syllables,
you’ll be able read multisyllabic words
more easily.
Almost all syllables fall into one of these
categories:
Closed Syllables
Open Syllables
Vowel Team Syllables
Consonant + le Syllables
R- Controlled Vowel Syllables
Vowel + Consonant + e
Closed Syllables
A closed syllable is a syllable that ends with a consonant.
The words fan, am, and left have closed syllables.
Multisyllabic words have closed syllables too. For example,
a two-syllable word with the vowel-consonant/consonantvowel pattern may have one or two closed syllables. You
can divide the word by syllables between the two
consonants.
swallow—swal low
happen—hap pen
hotdog—hot dog
problem—prob lem
Which word has a closed first syllable?
1. rabbit, raisin
2. cobbler, cobra
3. bagels, flapjacks
4. goblet, gopher
5. mighty, mitten
Which word has a closed first syllable?
1. rabbit, raisin
2. cobbler, cobra
3. bagels, flapjacks
4. goblet, gopher
5. mighty, mitten
Divide these words into syllables. (Divide
them between the closed syllable and
the rest of the word.
6. punish
7. proper
8. lemon
9. comet
10. minute
Did you divide them correctly?
6. pun-ish
7. prop-er
8. lem-on
9. com-et
10. min-ute
Open Syllables
An open syllable ends with a long vowel
sound. The words be and me have open
syllables.
Some multisyllabic words have an open
syllable in the middle of the word. These
words have the vowel/consonant-vowel
pattern.
pilot—pi lot
bacon—ba con
Some multisyllabic words have a pattern with
a syllable break between two vowels. This is
called the vowel/vowel pattern. For
example, the word fuel has a syllable break
between the u and the e.
poem—po em
The vowel/vowel pattern is also found in
words with more than two syllables.
idea—i de a
Break these words into syllables. Click to
check your answers.
1. humor
2. pilot
3. lazy
4. legal
5. profile
6. frozen
1. humor hu mor
2. pilot
pi lot
3. lazy
la zy
4. legal le gal
5. profile pro file
6. frozen fro zen
hu- open, mor- closed
pi- open, lot- closed
la- open, zy- open
le- open, gal- closed
pro- open, file-closed
fro- open, zen- closed
Working with a partner, divide these words
into syllables. Label the types of syllables.
(open or closed) Click to check your answers.
7. diary
8. piano
9. minus
10. meteor
11. poet
12. riot
13. valley
14. casual
Working with a partner, divide these words
into syllables. Label the types of syllables.
(open or closed) Click to check your answers.
7. diary
8. piano
9. minus
10. poet
11. riot
12. valley
13. casual
di ar y (open, closed, open)
pi an o (open, closed, open)
mi nus (open, closed)
po et (open, closed)
ri ot (open, closed)
val ley (closed, open)
cas u al (closed, open, closed)
Vowel Team Syllables
Every word has one or more syllables, and
every syllable contains one vowel sound.
Some vowel sounds are spelled with two
letters. These letters form a vowel team.
When a vowel team is in a word, it appears
in the same syllable.
tainted
boating
looking
Often in vowel teams, the first vowel is long, and
the second vowel is silent. When you read a
syllable that contains a vowel team, try the long
sound first. If the word does not sound right,
then try another vowel sound.
sounded
Monday
looking
toasted
painted
untie
Divide each word into syllables. Then underline the vowel
team in each word. Click to see the answers.
1. raining
2. grounded
3. Sunday
4. eighty
5. floated
6. bookshelf
7. meanest
8. soapbox
9. weightlifter
10. potpie
Divide each word into syllables. Then underline the vowel
team in each word. Click to see the answers.
1. raining
2. grounded
3. Sunday
4. eighty
5. floated
6. bookshelf
7. meanest
8. soapbox
9. weightlifter
10. potpie
rain ing
ground ed
Sun day
eight y
float ed
book shelf
mean est
soap box
weight lift er
pot pie
Consonant + le Syllables
When a word ends in -le, those letters and the
consonant before them form the last syllable.
han dle
stub ble min gle
ta ble
fid dle
If the syllable before the last syllable ends in a
vowel, it is an open syllable and has a long
vowel sound. If the syllable before the last
syllable ends with a consonant, it is a closed
syllable and has a short vowel sound.
Read each consonant + le word below. Divide each into syllables
and tell what type of syllables they are. Click for the answers.
1. stable
2. maple
3. candle
4. gentle
5. single
1. stable
2. maple
3. candle
4. gentle
5. single
sta ble (open, consonant + le)
ma ple (open, consonant + le)
can dle (closed, consonant + le)
gen tle (closed, consonant + le)
sin gle (closed, consonant + le)
Read each consonant + le word below. Divide each into syllables
and tell what type of syllables they are. Click for the answers.
6. bubble
7. fable
8. apple
9. eagle
10. little
Read each consonant + le word below. Divide each into syllables
and tell what type of syllables they are. Click for the answers.
6. bubble
7. fable
8. apple
9. eagle
10. little
bub ble (closed, consonant +le)
fa ble (open, consonant + le)
ap ple (closed, consonant + le)
ea gle (open, consonant + le)
lit tle (closed, consonant + le)
Vowel-r Syllables
The letter “r” is bossy and changes the sound
of the vowel that comes before it.
The vowel and the r that follows it will always
be in the same syllable.
motor- mo tor
messier- mess i er
shirt- shirt (only one syllable!)
Divide these words into syllables. The vowel and the r that
follows it will always be in the same syllable. Label the types
of syllables.
1. spider
2. brother
3. collar
4. dollar
5. jogger
6. scholar
1. spider
2. brother
3. collar
4. dollar
5. jogger
6. scholar
spi der
broth er
col lar
dol lar
jog ger
schol ar
(open, vowel-r)
(closed, vowel-r)
(closed, vowel-r)
(closed, vowel-r)
(closed, vowel-r)
(closed, vowel-r)
7. harmonica
har mon i ca (vowel-r, closed, open, open)
Vowel Consonant + e
A syllable with a long vowel, spelled with one
vowel + one consonant + silent e.
compete - com pete
despite - des pite
sunshine - sun shine
mistake - mis- take
Divide these words into syllables. The vowel and the r that
follows it will always be in the same syllable. Label the types
of syllables.
1.debate
2.hide
3.include
4.resale
5.upgrade
6. reptile
1.debate
de bate (open, VCe*)
2.hide
hide (VCe)
3.include
in clude
(closed, VCe)
4.resale
re sale
(open, VCe)
5.upgrade
up grade (closed, VCe)
6. reptile
rep tile
closed, VCe)
*VCe= vowel consonant + e
Divide the following words into syllables,
labeling the syllable types.
1.handle
2. haven
3. spider
4. meager
5. replay
6. remain
7. prevail
8. teacher
Divide the following words into syllables,
labeling the syllable types.
1. handle
2. haven
3. spider
4. meager
5. replay
6. remain
7. prevail
8. teacher
han dle
ha ven
spi der
mea ger
re play
re main
pre vail
teach er
(closed, c+le)
(open, closed)
(open, vowel +r)
(open, vowel + r)
(open, closed)
(open, closed)
(open, closed)
(closed, vowel +r)
Being familiar with syllable types will help you
better attack unknown words. Draw a table
on your paper like this:
Open
motel
Closed
not
Vowel
Team
Consonant +le
joining capable
Vowel-R
VCe
shores alone
When you read your A.R. book, go on a scavenger hunt to find words that
have these syllable types. Underline the syllable the correct syllable in
each word. An example is listed in each category. Try to find at least
three more for each category.