1. How can I use the syllabication strategy to help decode unknown words?
ELACC5RF3: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
a. Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multi-syllabic words in context and out of context.
How can I use the syllabication strategy to help decode unknown words?

2. Words with two or more syllables are multisyllabic words
Words with two or more syllables are multisyllabic words. One way to read longer words is to learn syllable patterns. Once you can break them into syllables, you’ll be able read multisyllabic words more easily.

3. Almost all syllables fall into one of these categories:
Closed Syllables Open Syllables Vowel Team Syllables Consonant + le Syllables R- Controlled Vowel Syllables Vowel + Consonant + e

4. Closed Syllables
A closed syllable is a syllable that ends with a consonant. The words fan, am, and left have closed syllables.
Multisyllabic words have closed syllables too. For example, a two-syllable word with the vowel-consonant/consonant-vowel pattern may have one or two closed syllables. You can divide the word by syllables between the two consonants.
swallow—swal low     hotdog—hot dog happen—hap pen       problem—prob lem

5. Which word has a closed first syllable?
1. rabbit, raisin
2. cobbler, cobra
3. bagels, flapjacks
4. goblet, gopher
5. mighty, mitten

6. Which word has a closed first syllable?
1. rabbit, raisin
2. cobbler, cobra
3. bagels, flapjacks
4. goblet, gopher
5. mighty, mitten

7. Divide these words into syllables
Divide these words into syllables. (Divide them between the closed syllable and the rest of the word.
6. punish
7. proper
8. lemon
9. comet
10. minute

8. 6. pun-ish
7. prop-er
8. lem-on
9. com-et
10. min-ute
Did you divide them correctly?

9. Open Syllables
An open syllable ends with a long vowel sound. The words be and me have open syllables.

10. Some multisyllabic words have an open syllable in the middle of the word. These words have the vowel/consonant-vowel pattern.
pilot—pi lot        bacon—ba con
Some multisyllabic words have a pattern with a syllable break between two vowels. This is called the vowel/vowel pattern. For example, the word fuel has a syllable break between the u and the e.
poem—po em

11. The vowel/vowel pattern is also found in words with more than two syllables.
idea—i de a
Break these words into syllables. Click to check your answers.
1. humor
2. pilot
3. lazy
4. legal
5. profile
6. frozen

12. 1. humor hu mor
2. pilot pi lot
3. lazy la zy
4. legal le gal
5. profile pro file
6. frozen fro zen
hu- open, mor- closed
pi- open, lot- closed
la- open, zy- open
le- open, gal- closed
pro- open, file-closed
fro- open, zen- closed

13. Working with a partner, divide these words into syllables
Working with a partner, divide these words into syllables. Label the types of syllables. (open or closed) Click to check your answers.
7. diary
8. piano
9. minus
10. meteor
11. poet
12. riot
13. valley
14. casual

14. Working with a partner, divide these words into syllables
Working with a partner, divide these words into syllables. Label the types of syllables. (open or closed) Click to check your answers.
7. diary di ar y (open, closed, open)
8. piano pi an o (open, closed, open)
9. minus mi nus (open, closed)
10. poet po et (open, closed)
11. riot ri ot (open, closed)
12. valley val ley (closed, open)
13. casual cas u al (closed, open, closed)

15. Vowel Team Syllables
Every word has one or more syllables, and every syllable contains one vowel sound. Some vowel sounds are spelled with two letters. These letters form a vowel team. When a vowel team is in a word, it appears in the same syllable.
tainted     boating    looking

16. sounded Monday toasted untie
Often in vowel teams, the first vowel is long, and the second vowel is silent. When you read a syllable that contains a vowel team, try the long sound first. If the word does not sound right, then try another vowel sound.
sounded    Monday    toasted    untie    
looking    painted

17. 1. raining 2. grounded 3. Sunday 4. eighty 5. floated 6. bookshelf
Divide each word into syllables. Then underline the vowel team in each word. Click to see the answers.
1. raining
2. grounded
3. Sunday
4. eighty
5. floated
6. bookshelf
7. meanest
8. soapbox
9. weightlifter
10. potpie

18. 9. weightlifter weight lift er 10. potpie pot pie
Divide each word into syllables. Then underline the vowel team in each word. Click to see the answers.
1. raining rain ing
2. grounded ground ed
3. Sunday Sun day
4. eighty eight y
5. floated float ed
6. bookshelf book shelf
7. meanest mean est
8. soapbox soap box
9. weightlifter weight lift er
10. potpie pot pie

19. han dle stub ble min gle fid dle
Consonant + le Syllables
When a word ends in -le, those letters and the consonant before them form the last syllable.
han dle    stub ble    min gle     fid dle    
ta ble   
If the syllable before the last syllable ends in a vowel, it is an open syllable and has a long vowel sound. If the syllable before the last syllable ends with a consonant, it is a closed syllable and has a short vowel sound.

20. 1. stable 2. maple 3. candle 4. gentle 5. single
Read each consonant + le word below. Divide each into syllables and tell what type of syllables they are. Click for the answers.
1. stable
2. maple
3. candle
4. gentle
5. single

21. 1. stable sta ble (open, consonant + le)
2. maple ma ple (open, consonant + le)
3. candle can dle (closed, consonant + le)
4. gentle gen tle (closed, consonant + le)
5. single sin gle (closed, consonant + le)

22. 6. bubble 7. fable 8. apple 9. eagle 10. little
Read each consonant + le word below. Divide each into syllables and tell what type of syllables they are. Click for the answers.
6. bubble
7. fable
8. apple
9. eagle
10. little

23. 6. bubble bub ble (closed, consonant +le)
Read each consonant + le word below. Divide each into syllables and tell what type of syllables they are. Click for the answers.
6. bubble bub ble (closed, consonant +le)
7. fable fa ble (open, consonant + le)
8. apple ap ple (closed, consonant + le)
9. eagle ea gle (open, consonant + le)
10. little lit tle (closed, consonant + le)

24. motor- mo tor messier- mess i er shirt- shirt (only one syllable!)
Vowel-r Syllables
The letter “r” is bossy and changes the sound of the vowel that comes before it.
The vowel and the r that follows it will always be in the same syllable.
motor- mo tor messier- mess i er
shirt- shirt (only one syllable!)

25. 1. spider 2. brother 3. collar 4. dollar 5. jogger 6. scholar
Divide these words into syllables. The vowel and the r that follows it will always be in the same syllable. Label the types of syllables.
1. spider
2. brother
3. collar
4. dollar
5. jogger
6. scholar

26. 1. spider spi der (open, vowel-r)
2. brother broth er (closed, vowel-r)
3. collar col lar (closed, vowel-r)
4. dollar dol lar (closed, vowel-r)
5. jogger jog ger (closed, vowel-r)
6. scholar schol ar (closed, vowel-r)
7. harmonica har mon i ca (vowel-r, closed, open, open)

27. compete - com pete despite - des pite
Vowel Consonant + e
A syllable with a long vowel, spelled with one vowel + one consonant + silent e.
compete - com pete despite - des pite
sunshine - sun shine mistake - mis- take

28. debate hide include resale upgrade reptile
Divide these words into syllables. The vowel and the r that follows it will always be in the same syllable. Label the types of syllables.
debate
hide
include
resale
upgrade
reptile

29. debate de bate (open, VCe*)
hide hide (VCe)
include in clude (closed, VCe)
resale re sale (open, VCe)
upgrade up grade (closed, VCe)
reptile rep tile closed, VCe)
*VCe= vowel consonant + e

30. Divide the following words into syllables, labeling the syllable types.
handle
2. haven
3. spider
4. meager
5. replay
6. remain
7. prevail
8. teacher

31. Divide the following words into syllables, labeling the syllable types.
1. handle han dle (closed, c+le)
2. haven ha ven (open, closed)
3. spider spi der (open, vowel +r)
4. meager mea ger (open, vowel + r)
5. replay re play (open, closed)
6. remain re main (open, closed)
7. prevail pre vail (open, closed)
8. teacher teach er (closed, vowel +r)

32. Being familiar with syllable types will help you better attack unknown words. Draw a table on your paper like this:
Open
Closed
Vowel Team
Consonant +le
Vowel-R
VCe
motel
not
joining
capable
shores
alone
When you read your A.R. book, go on a scavenger hunt to find words that have these syllable types. Underline the syllable the correct syllable in each word. An example is listed in each category. Try to find at least three more for each category.