An open syllable is a type of syllable that ends with a vowel sound and is spelled with a single vowel letter (a, e, i, o, or u) . The vowel in an open syllable is pronounced with a long sound because there is no consonant after it. Examples of open syllables include me, go, and no.
Open syllables are one of six consistent spelling patterns in the English language. They are important to teach beginning readers because they are a great way to introduce the long vowel sound as it appears in print. Students can grasp this pattern relatively quickly because the words that follow this pattern contain so few letters.
It is recommended to teach open syllables along with or after closed syllables in first or second grade. A closed syllable has a short vowel ending in a consonant. It is important to note that a syllable can be either open or closed, and knowing whether syllables are open or closed can help readers decode unfamiliar words.
