Closed syllables have a single vowel, followed by one or more consonants. The vowel sound is short because it is ‘closed in’ by the consonant.
Closed syllables are one of the most common syllable types, making up just under 50% of all syllables. They are usually the first syllable type to be introduced to early readers.
Closed syllables include CVC words and words ending in –ck, -tch, -dge and the FLOSS rule.
The short vowel can be marked with a symbol called a breve.
In multi-syllabic words, closed syllables typically follow a VCCV pattern (Vowel-Consonant-Consonant-Vowel).
Teaching Tips for Multi-Syllabic Words
- Look for the VCCV pattern in words.
- Students will need a solid knowledge of common blends and consonant digraphs e.g. ch sh th wh ll ss ff zz ck. Remind students to keep blends and digraphs together when they are splitting multi-syllabic words.
- Begin with words that have a double consonant in the middle, and a closed syllable in both the first and second syllable e.g. rabbit
- Once learners can identify and divide words with double consonants in the middle, move onto words with different consonants in the middle e.g. cobweb
- Then move to words ending in ‘er’ and other more advanced syllable patterns e.g. bitter
