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 SyllablesOpen SyllablesVowel Team SyllablesConsonant + le SyllablesR- 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/consonant-vowel pattern may have one or two closed syllables. You can divide the word by syllables between the two consonants.

swallow—swal low     hotdog—hot doghappen—hap pen       problem—prob lem

Which word has a closed first syllable?

1. rabbit, raisin2. cobbler, cobra3. bagels, flapjacks4. goblet, gopher5. mighty, mitten

Which word has a closed first syllable?

1. rabbit, raisin2. cobbler, cobra3. bagels, flapjacks4. goblet, gopher5. mighty, mitten

Divide these words into syllables. (Divide them between the closed syllable and the rest of the word.

6. punish7. proper8. lemon9. comet10. minute

6. pun-ish7. prop-er8. lem-on9. com-et10. min-ute

Did you divide them correctly?

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. humor2. pilot3. lazy4. legal5. profile6. frozen

1. humor hu mor2. pilot pi lot3. lazy la zy4. legal le gal5. profile pro file6. frozen fro zen

hu- open, mor- closedpi- open, lot- closedla- open, zy- openle- open, gal- closedpro- open, file-closedfro- open, zen- closed

7. diary 8. piano 9. minus 10. meteor11. poet 12. riot 13. valley14. 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 di ar y (open, closed, open)8. piano pi an o (open, closed, open)9. minus mi nus (open, closed)10. poet po et (open, closed)11. riot ri ot (open, closed)12. valley val ley (closed, open)13. casual cas u al (closed, open, closed)

Working with a partner, divide these words into syllables. Label the types of syllables. (open or closed) Click to check your answers.

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    toasted    untie    

looking    painted

1. raining2. grounded3. Sunday4. eighty5. floated6. bookshelf7. meanest8. soapbox9. weightlifter10. potpie

Divide each word into syllables. Then underline the vowel team in each word. Click to see the

answers.

1. raining rain ing2. grounded ground ed3. Sunday Sun day4. eighty eight y5. floated float ed6. bookshelf book shelf7. meanest mean est8. soapbox soap box9. weightlifter weight lift er10. potpie pot pie

Divide each word into syllables. Then underline the vowel team in each word. Click to see the

answers.

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     fid dle    ta ble   

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. candle4. gentle5. single

1. stable sta ble (open, consonant + le)2. maple ma ple (open, consonant + le)3. candle can dle (closed, consonant +

le)4. gentle gen tle (closed, consonant +

le)5. single 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. fable8. apple 9. eagle10. 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 bub ble (closed, consonant +le)7. fable fa ble (open, consonant + le)8. apple ap ple (closed, consonant + le)9. eagle ea gle (open, consonant + le)10. little 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!)

1. spider2. brother3. collar4. dollar5. jogger 6. scholar

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 spi der (open, vowel-r)2. brother broth er (closed, vowel-r)3. collar col lar (closed, vowel-r)4. dollar dol lar (closed, vowel-r)5. jogger jog ger (closed, vowel-r)6. scholar schol ar (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

1.debate

2.hide

3.include

4.resale

5.upgrade

6. reptile

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 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.handle2. haven3. spider4. meager5. replay6. remain 7. prevail8. teacher

Divide the following words into syllables, labeling the syllable types.

1. handle han dle (closed, c+le)2. haven ha ven (open, closed)3. spider spi der (open, vowel +r)4. meager mea ger (open, vowel + r)5. replay re play (open, closed)6. remain re main (open, closed)7. prevail pre vail (open, closed)8. teacher teach er (closed, vowel +r)

Being familiar with syllable types will help you better attack unknown words. Draw a table on your paper like this:

Open Closed Vowel Team

Consonant +le Vowel-R VCe

motel not joining capable 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.