It’s always so much fun listening and watching our young readers figure out those “longer” words. Many of our little ones are pretty solid decoding one-syllable words and are now ready to learn strategies for decoding multisyllabic words. So, really, what is a syllable? Simply put, a syllable is a unit of pronunciation containing a single vowel sound. “Syllabication” is the process of analyzing the pattern of vowels and consonants in a word to determine where a word is broken into its syllables. The ability to break a word into syllables helps students decode those longer words as well as helps the student remember spelling patterns. Understanding the 7 syllable types helps students to become better readers and writers.
There are 7 types of syllables that occur in all words of the English language. Every word can be broken down into these syllables. These 7 syllables include: closed, open, magic e, vowel teams, r-controlled, diphthongs and consonant le. Let’s focus on one of those syllable types: Consonant + le
The consonant+le syllable type is known as a “final stable syllable” because it can only occur at the end of words.
The Seven Syllable Types Posters can be downloaded for FREE in my online Teachers Pay Teachers store.
When breaking the word into syllables the c+le is the ending syllable. If the first syllable ends with the vowel (e.g. bugle, cradle, cable, eagle), it is considered “open” the vowel says its long sound. If the syllable ends with a consonant (e.g. mumble, puzzle, giggle), the syllable is considered “closed” and the vowel says it’s short sound.
The -le becomes its own syllable at the end of the word. The consonant that comes before the -le always stays with the -le ending (never separate the “ck”). The final vowel “e” is always silent, but it creates a new sound for the consonant+l. The schwa sound comes before the “l” and makes the /ul/ sound.
Not every consonant is represented in the c+le syllable type. The consonants that can join with the final -le include: -ble, -cle, -dle, -fle, -gle, -kle, -ple, -tle, -stle, and -zle. You may find this word list helpful for teaching the c+le rule. It’s always nice to have a word list on hand when teaching syllable rules and practicing spelling of words to dictation.
To download this FREE c+le word list just click the following link: Consonant + le Word List
One of my favorite resources for teaching and practicing the consonant + le syllable pattern is the file folder phonics activity where students sort the words based on the vowel sound and spelling pattern of doubling the consonant.
The Consonant + le File folder Activity can be purchased separately as one file folder activity. It’s also available in the File Folder Phonics Bundle.
For our sports-minded students, the It’s a Goal! Consonant + le and the Swish! Consonant + le activities offer multiple practice opportunities for reading words containing this syllable pattern.
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