What Is A Closed Syllable And Why Is It Important? - Informed Literacy

Teaching beginning readers about the closed syllable is an important first step in reading success. Kindergarten, First Grade, and emergent readers benefit from lessons that include explicit, systematic instruction of the syllable type, both in isolation and in connected text (decodable readers).

What is a closed syllable?

It is one of six consistent spelling patterns of the English language. The closed syllable word contains one vowel. That vowel is followed by (or closed in by) one or more consonants. The vowel sound is ‘short’. This pattern is often referred to as the CVC pattern (consonant – vowel – consonant), although a closed syllable does not always begin with a consonant. Examples of words following this pattern are: at, in, dog, fun, peck, twin, & scratch.

How many letters are in a closed syllable?

Closed syllables can contain 2 letters (at, in, on), 3 letters (ask, tug, pen), 4 letters (fish, spot, jump), 5 letters (twist, bunch, shrug), 6 letters (shrimp, clutch, thrill), or 7 letters (scratch, stretch). The main idea is that ALL closed syllables have only ONE VOWEL that is followed by 1 or more consonants.

As noted in the sample words above, closed syllables can contain digraphs, trigraphs, and blends.

FAQs

1. What about words like cold, wild, and most? These words have one vowel closed in by a consonant but the vowel is long.

You are right! These words do contain the long vowel sound. These syllables are referred to as closed syllable exceptions. They are not considered rule breakers because many words contain the closed syllable exception spelling patterns. In another blog post, we discuss in more detail the closed syllable exception and explain how to teach this pattern.

Here is a great resource for teaching about the closed syllable exception pattern.

2. The word ‘for’ has only one vowel and is closed in by a consonant. Is ‘for’ an example of a closed syllable?

No. The word ‘for’ is an r-controlled pattern. The letter ‘r’ changes the sound of the ‘o’ so it does not follow the closed syllable pattern. Other examples of r-controlled words are: car, her, bird, & turn.

Why should I bother teaching the syllable types when English is so random?

The English language is not as random as people have come to believe. Reading is a code-based system. Readers are most successful when they are taught to use the alphabetic code. The closed syllable pattern is one of the most consistent patterns in the English language.

Words like, from, put and what, have one vowel that is closed in by a consonant, but the vowels do not make their expected sound. They are considered irregular words. In this case, students can be taught to use a strategy known as ‘Set for Variability’ to read these words accurately.

To learn more, please read our blog ‘What Is Set for Variability and Why Is It Important?’

If there are 6 syllable types, how do I know which one to introduce first?

Great question! As we mentioned, the closed syllable pattern is very consistent. Because this pattern is so reliable, teaching it first will help to lay the foundation for strong decoding and encoding skills. Start with the simplest pattern first – CVC.

How do I begin teaching about the closed syllable?

Students who have strong phonemic awareness and know most of their letter names and sounds are ready to begin learning about the alphabetic principle. Be sure to use a consistent, explicit approach to teach any syllable pattern. It is scientifically proven to be the most effective teaching strategy. Here is one of our favorite videos about reading and the brain by a leading neuroscientist.

What is the most effective approach for teaching syllable types?

When teaching syllable patterns, it is important to provide explicit, systematic instruction. You may have heard this referred to as structured literacy. It is also important to provide opportunities to apply students’ knowledge to connected text. Decodable readers are one of the most powerful ways to help reinforce a student’s understanding.

What about the students who have trouble reading CVC words?

Tier 1 support is crucial for helping these learners gain traction. Some students learn the closed syllable pattern with relative ease. Others need repeated opportunities to practice – emphasis on repeated. Remember those neuronal pathways discussed in the video? For some students, it takes more time for these pathways to form. Repeated, successful practice helps make the connection from the sound portion of the brain to the print portion of the brain. The resource pictured below provides a mixed review of the closed syllable pattern.

It is important to follow a structured literacy approach when teaching beginning reading, but for emergent and struggling readers, it is imperative! We design all of our resources to align with the Science of Reading, following a structured literacy format.

Want to know more about consonant digraphs?

Check out our blog post to learn some foolproof tips on how to teach consonant digraphs.

Are your students having trouble reading consonant blends?

In this post about consonant blends, we share some effective ways to help students read and spell with accuracy. We provide ideas for including a multisensory component.

Interested in knowing the order in which you should teach the syllable types?

We have a FREE K-2 Scope and Sequence. Just click on the image.

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