Which statement describes an open syllable?

Which statement describes an open syllable?

• A. Ends with a consonant sound
• B. Ends in a vowel with a short vowel sound
• C. Ends in a consonant with a silent e
• D. Ends in a vowel and has a long vowel sound

Answer: (D)

An open syllable ends with a vowel and the vowel usually has its long sound. When the syllable isn’t closed by a consonant, the vowel tends to say its own name, like in go or he. That’s why the description “ends in a vowel and has a long vowel sound” best fits an open syllable. In contrast, a syllable that ends in a consonant is closed and typically has a short vowel, and a pattern with a silent e involves a different mechanism where the vowel becomes long but the syllable ends with an e, not just a vowel.

An open syllable ends with a vowel and the vowel usually has its long sound. When the syllable isn’t closed by a consonant, the vowel tends to say its own name, like in go or he. That’s why the description “ends in a vowel and has a long vowel sound” best fits an open syllable. In contrast, a syllable that ends in a consonant is closed and typically has a short vowel, and a pattern with a silent e involves a different mechanism where the vowel becomes long but the syllable ends with an e, not just a vowel.