This is the strangest idea so far. A letter that makes no sound at all, and changes a different letter instead.
Step 1: Let's Learn
Read it, or press Listen and follow the words.
Look at what it does
Cap becomes cape. Kit becomes kite. Hop becomes hope. Tub becomes tube.
The e is silent
You never say it. Cape does not end with an /e/ sound. It ends with /p/.
But the vowel changed
In cap the a says /a/. In cape it says its own name, "ay". The e did that.
That is what a long vowel is
A long vowel says its letter name. Long a is "ay". Long i is "eye". Long o is "oh".
Long vowel A vowel that says its own letter name.
It works from a distance
The e is at the end and the vowel it changes is two letters earlier. It reaches back over the consonant.
Why this matters for reading
You have to look at the whole word before deciding the vowel. Look at the end first, then go back.
And for writing
If you want to write hope and you forget the e, you have written hop, which is a different word.
Step 2: Watch an Example
One step at a time.
cap and cape
Sam compares two words.
- Step 1
Cap: /k/ /a/ /p/. The a is short.
Checking the End First
Ana meets the word kite.
- Step 1
She starts to say /k/ /i/ /t/ — "kit".
Forgetting the e When Writing
Sam wants to write "I hope so".
- Step 1
He writes h-o-p.
Step 3: Your Turn
Practice makes it stick.
Two Words
Problem 1 of 2
What does the e at the end of cape do?
Reading a New Word
Problem 2 of 2
You see the word tube. Where should you look first?
The Silent e
1 of 5
Does the e in kite make a sound?
2 of 5
What is a long vowel?
3 of 5
What does hop become with an e on the end?
4 of 5
How far back does the silent e reach?
5 of 5
You write hop when you meant hope. What happened?
Step 4: Quick Check
Show what you know.
Question 1 of 1
Kit becomes kite. What changed?
What You Learned
- A silent e makes no sound of its own.
- It makes the vowel before it say its own name.
- That is what a long vowel is.
- Check the end of a word before you decide the vowel.