Vowel-Consonant-E (VCE) Syllables

A vowel-consonant-e (VCE) syllable has a long vowel sound, followed by a consonant and a silent ‘e’. This spelling pattern is also known as a split digraph

NOTE: final ‘e’ has many jobs, but in this syllable type, its role is to cause the vowel to say its name. For example, in the word ‘cake’, the final e makes the ‘a’ long.

Teaching Tips for Multi-Syllabic Words

• Students will need to already recognise and read one syllable CVCe words.
• If you’ve already taught students how to divide a word that has an open or closed first syllable, this will build upon what they already know.

• Start by decoding words with CVCe in the second syllable – this makes it more consistent for early learners.