Closed syllable. In a closed syllable, a stressed vowel is followed by one or more consonants (except for r), a vowel in a closed syllable conveys a short sound.
An example of words with an open type of syllables
- pen-[ pen] - pen
- cat-[ kæt] - cat
There are four types of syllables in English, more on that. Types of syllables
Rules for reading vowels in open and closed types of syllables.
The most common rules for reading English vowels are the rules for reading them in four types of syllable.
The vowels i and y are, as it were, duplicating each other (in the sense of the rules for their reading). The letter y occurs mainly at the end of words, and the letter i occurs in the middle of words and almost never at the end.
1 Alphabetical reading, i.e. the pronunciation corresponding to the name of the letter in the alphabet, vowels have only in the second type of syllable, which is also called open, since it ends with a vowel.
2 A syllable becomes closed if a vowel is followed by one or more consonants.
3 In polysyllabic words, according to the rules of English syllable division, one consonant, being on the border of syllables between read vowels, goes to the next syllable. For example, in the word lad [ læd] guy, the consonant d refers to the first and only syllable, "closing" it. In the word lady [ ˈleɪdi] lady the same consonant applies to the second syllable, while the first is left open.
4 If there are two or more consonants on the border of syllables, then at least one of them necessarily goes to the previous syllable, making it closed: splendid [ ˈsplɛndɪd] magnificent, luxurious.
This also applies to cases where consonant combinations give only one sound: funny [ ˈfʌni] funny, amusing ticket[ ˈtɪkɪt] ticket, ticket
The boundary of syllables then passes, as it were, directly along this sound. The preceding syllable becomes closed, although the sound itself belongs to the subsequent syllable.
5 The letter x transmitting two sounds is considered as two consonants boxer [ ˈbɒksə] boxer.
6 The final mute vowel e serves to indicate the openness of syllables ending in the consonants made [ ˈmedɪd] made . The letter e at the end of a word is read only when it is the only vowel: be [ bi] to be .
7 sound [ (j) u: ] after hissing, consonant [ r] and combinations of consonants ending in [ l], pronounced [ u:]
- rule[ ruːl] rule, rule, authority
- blue [ blue] blue, cyan
- shoot [ ʃuːt] take off, shoot.
In other cases, the more common [ juː]
- few[ fjuː] little, a little
- use[ ˈjuːs] benefit, use, application
In American English, the sound [ juː] occurs much less frequently than in British, which in the following transcriptions is denoted as [ (j) u: ].
8 Syllables closed with a consonant r or letter combinations r + consonant are distinguished into a separate, third type of syllable, with special reading rules. In two-syllable words with several consonants beginning with r at the syllable boundary, r goes to the previous syllable, the rest to the next (including cases of rr):
- [ ˈdʒəːmən] German
- porridge [ ˈpɒrɪdʒ] porridge .
9 Finally, if a vowel follows immediately after the closing r, an open syllable of the fourth type is formed. If one letter r stands on the syllabic boundary in two-syllable words, then, according to the general rule of syllable division, it goes to the next syllable, but at the same time it is an indicator of reading the previous vowel according to the rules of syllables of the fourth type:
staring [ ˈsteərɪŋ] bright .
10 The rules for reading open syllables of types 2 and 4 have quite a few exceptions regarding polysyllabic words in which the vowels in the indicated syllables are read according to the rules for closed syllables.
11 The consonant r after vowels in syllables of the third and fourth type is not pronounced in British English. However, if the next word begins with a vowel, the final "mute" -r or -re ceases to be so:
to take care of [ təˈ teɪkkerəv] take care . In the American version, the consonant r is always read.
12 Vowels e , i , y and u in syllables of the third type give the same sound [ ə: ] , and their reading in syllables of the fourth type is easily obtained from the alphabet by adding the sound [ ə ] .
13 The vowel o in syllables of the third and fourth type is read the same way [ ɔː ]
14 Letter combinations -er -re at the end of words, giving the same vowel sound [ ə ] , are treated as a vowel that opens the previous syllable: metre [ ˈmiːtə] meter . The letter combination -le at the end of words has a similar property: table [ ˈteɪbl] table . Sonorant consonant sound [ l]. close in sound characteristics to vowels, acts in such cases as a syllable-forming vowel.
Trainer for reading English vowels in open and closed syllables. For children who are just starting to learn English letters, it is very difficult to learn English sounds.
The simulator is used to practice open and closed syllables and is designed for 2nd grade students. According to the teaching staff of Biboletova (4th quarter). According to UMK Vereshchagina (the end of the second quarter - the beginning of the second quarter). According to UMK Starlight (end of September). This simulator will help not only remember vowels and sounds, but also help to distinguish in what position the letter is read in an open or closed syllable.
aa
cake, Kate, name, plane, plate, snake, take, Jane, sale
hat, cat, bat, fat, Sam, cap, bad, parrot, carrot, rat, ant, many, black, map, can
a black cat, a bad snake, many parrots, a fat rat, a black rat and a fat cat, a cake and a plate, a black bat hat
Take a cat. Take a plate. Take a black rat and a fat cat. Take a map.
Take a cake, Kate. Jane, take a parrot and a carrot. Take a fat cat and a black hat, Sam.
What's your name? How many plates has Jane got? Has Sam got a map?
[əʊ] no, rose, stone, open, home, go, globe
[ͻ] on, not, hot, dog, frog, doll, hop, robot, box, clock
Rose, doll, frog, home, robot, dog, stone, box
No, go, globe, hop, hot, doll, doll, home
go home, a big dog, a big doll, a big box, a small clock, a box and a dog
go home. A big dog has a big clock. A small frog has a big box.
Open box. A frog opens a small box. I have at a doll at home.
Have they got a doll at home? - No, they haven't. They have got a robot at home.
Kite, mice, bike, hi, Mike, nice, fine, like, white, nine
[i] Tim, Bill, pink, kitten, big, little, pig, milk, it, his, with
a little kite, a little cat, a little pig, a little hat, little mice
a nice bike, a nice cat, a nice pet, nice mice
a big kitten, a big pink kitten, a big fat cat, a big plane
I like my bike. I like my cat. I like my big fat cat. I like my nice little pink pig. I am fine.
I like my little nice mice. I like my nice pink kite. I like it.
I like to play with my nice little kitten. Let's play with his big bike.
ee
see, be, Pete, he, beet, she, bee, keep, we, green, sweet,
Ned, pet, let "s, hen, ten, pen, desk, red, bed, Bet, lemon,
Pete, bed, Ted, let, green, pen, bee
Peg, desk, see, keep, red, hen, beet
Green pen, red desk, Pete and a bee, Ted and his pet,
A black desk, a big red hen on the little black desk
See a red beet. Take a pen. Take a hen. Keep a green pen. See a black desk.
Take a pen, Pete. His pen is bad. His desk is big. Ted, see a big bee.
Let's play with a pet, Pete. What green toys has Peg got?
Computer, pupil, tube, due, student, tulip, music
Up, cup, bus, cut, sun, sunny, plus, puppy, funny
Computer, bus, cup, pupil, plus, student
Up, puppy, tube, student, pupil, sun, cut
A sunny day, a sunny smile, a big bus and a little cup,
A big funny puppy, a funny puppy and a sunny smile
Get up, puppy. Let's listen to the music. students are funny.
Let's play computer games with the students. They are funny.
My, fly, why, try, cry, type
Funny, puppy, sunny, system, myth, baby
Funny, why, cry, funny, try, fly, system, myth
A big fly, my big fly, a big fat funny fly, a big thin funny puppy
Don't cry. Don't try. Don't fly. Fly my little kite.
Try to cry, my baby. I want you to cry. Why do you cry?
Why don't you try to cry? Fly! Fly a kite. Fly my little funny kite.
See the full text of the material Simulator for reading English vowels in open and closed syllables in the downloaded file.
The page contains a snippet.
Consider an open and closed syllable in English. As you already understood, reading vowels in English is closely related to this concept.
The main focus here is that vowels can be pronounced differently depending on which syllable they are in. There are two syllables in English: open and closed.
Open syllable in English
What is open syllable? This is the syllable that ends in a vowel (more often it is e, but it is not pronounced by itself). In such a syllable, vowels are read only as they are called in the alphabet (see table No. 1).
🔊 m e
[M AND:] "to me" ;
🔊n i ce [N AI C] "pleasant";
🔊sk y
[SK AI] "sky";
🔊s o da [CO At DE] "carbonated drink".
Closed syllable in English
Finally, consider the vowels in closed syllable. Here their pronunciation may seem more familiar to you, perhaps with the exception of the letter u, which is pronounced like a sound similar to [A]. A letter a- [E] (see table No. 2).
🔊l i p[L And P] "lip";
🔊 b u t[B BUT T] "but";
🔊p e t [P E T] "pet";
🔊 h o t [X O T] "hot".
Comment: Consonants at the end of words in a closed syllable are not stunned, as in Russian. So, we write "horn", and pronounce [ROK]. There is no such thing in English, otherwise there would be confusion:
🔊ma d [ME D] "crazy" - 🔊ma t [ME T] "mat".
Letter combinations require special attention r(see table number 3):
Examples of words with syllables from the table:
🔊 bar[BA:] "bar";
🔊 her[HYO:] "her"
🔊 fir[FYO:] "spruce";
🔊 for[FO:] "for";
🔊 fur[FYO:] "wool";
🔊 Byrne [BY:N] "Byrn" (proper name).
The letter itself r is not pronounced, and the vowel before it is pronounced for a long time.
To, you need to know the types of syllables in English. Knowing a few simple rules will take you one step closer to the desired pronunciation as a native speaker. Let's first remember the basic things, a syllable is or several vowels combined with a consonant / consonants, which are pronounced with one push of exhaled air. There are four types of syllables: an open syllable, a closed syllable, and two conditionally open (or semi-closed) types of syllables. Open and closed syllables are the most common in English, so it’s worth talking about them in more detail with examples and exceptions, but we’ll also tell you about the rest.
Closed syllables
This is the syllable that occurs most often. It ends in a consonant (one or more), and the vowel in the syllable is read briefly. We have selected for you a few examples that will help you remember the rule better:
bad- badExceptions:
cat- cat
lip- lip
sad- sad
black- black
There are, as usual, a few exceptions to this rule to keep in mind:
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- The letter "a" before "s" and the combination "th" is always read as a long "a": past, master, glass, father, path.
- The letter "a" after "w" is always read as a short "o": was, want, wasp.
- In some words, the letter "u" is read exactly the same as in an open syllable: put, pull, bull, push.
- The letter "o" in combination with "-st" is also read briefly: most, lost, host.
open syllables
The main rule of an open syllable in English is that it must end in a vowel. In this case, the vowel is read exactly the same as in the alphabet and as a result gives a long sound.
The main characteristics of the syllable:
- Such a syllable does not have a consonant after a vowel in the syllable. (for example, in words: go, my, no);
- Usually has the letter e at the end of the word, which comes immediately after the vowel (for example, in the words: pie, toe, bye);
- Immediately after the consonant letter, it has a silent (or unreadable) vowel e. (for example, in the words: name, take, pupil);
- Immediately after the stressed vowel, it has the consonant + le (for example, in the words: table, noble).
The same rule may apply to some monosyllabic words, such as: me, go, she and some others.
Word examples:
male- male
type- type of
bite- bite
go- go
late- late
rude- rude
like- like how
Exceptions:
This rule also has exceptions. It is very important to remember that in the words: love, some, done, none, dove- the letter "o" in the first syllable is read exactly the same as a short "a".
Conditionally open (or semi-closed) syllables
Conditionally open (or semi-closed) syllables are of several types:
- Syllables that end in a vowel + r;
- Syllables that end in a vowel + re;
- Syllables that end in a consonant + le.
In the first case, the vowel gives a long sound, and the letter r is not readable.
car- automobile
girl [ɡɜːl]- girl
In the second case, the consonant r is also not readable, but the vowel is converted into a diphthong.
pure - pure
The third case (consonant + le) can be either open or closed, depending on how many consonants precede le. There are two cases:
- Le is preceded by a single consonant.
table [ˈteɪbl]- table
title [ˈtaɪtl]- title - Le is preceded by two consonants.
struggle [ˈstrʌɡl]- struggle
sniffle [ˈsnɪfl]- sniffle
Useful video:
First, let's find out what is different open syllable in English from the closed one and using examples, let's see how to read letters correctly in a particular syllable.
Open syllable in English
If a word ends in a vowel, then it is an open syllable.
name - name
my - my
take - take
You have probably already noticed that in almost all cases, the vowel e at the end of the word is mute (unreadable). Let's now take a closer look at how to correctly read vowels in an open stressed syllable.
In an open syllable, all vowels are read as in the alphabet. The exception is the letter y . There are 6 vowels in the alphabet. Let's look at each of them in the table below.
English vowels and examples of their pronunciation in words
aa
name - name
lake - lake
say - to say
As you have already noticed, the last vowel in the English word is not readable. She only says that the first vowel in the word should be read as in the alphabet.
ee
be - to be
me - me
settle - bench
In most prepositions, we pronounce the last vowel, as in the example with the preposition be (to be) and me (me).
II
nice - to be
like - me
line - bench
Oh
no - no
nose - nose
go - go, go
Uu
mute - mute
tune - tune
Yy
my - my
skype - skype
The vowel y in the English word conveys the sound despite the fact that it has a transcription.
Closed syllable in English.
If a word ends in a consonant, then it is closed syllable.
pen - pen
good [ɡʊd] - good
sit - to sit
Let's analyze the rules for reading each vowel separately in closed syllable in English.
English vowels and examples of their pronunciation in a closed syllable
aa
bad - bad
dad - dad
back - back
black - black
flat - flat
The letter Aa in a closed stressed syllable is read as a sound [æ]. This sound is similar to something between Russian A and E. In the examples, you can clearly hear how to pronounce this sound. Practice well before moving on to the next letter.
Oh
stop - stop
box - box
from - from, from
shop
hot - hot
Letter Oo in a closed stressed syllable is read as sound [ə]. This sound is similar to the Russian sound Oh, but in Russian, when we pronounce Oh, we stretch our lips forward, in English, when pronouncing the sound [ə], the lips do not stretch forward. The examples clearly audible how to pronounce this sound.
II
big - big
film - film
milk - milk
sit - to sit
fish - fish
The letter Ii in a closed stressed syllable is read as a sound [I]. This sound is similar to the Russian sound I. In the examples, you can clearly hear how to pronounce this sound.
ee
best - the best
bed - bed
dress - dress
egg - egg
get - receive
The letter Ee in a closed stressed syllable is read as a sound [e]. This sound is similar to the Russian sound E. In the examples, you can clearly hear how to pronounce this sound.
Uu
cup - a cup
sun - the sun
run - to run
fun - fun
up - up
The letter Uu in a closed stressed syllable is read as a [ʌ] sound. This sound is similar to the Russian sound A, but in English it is more tense. The examples clearly audible how to pronounce this sound.
Yy
gym - gym
myth - myth
rhythm - rhythm
The letter Yy in a closed stressed syllable is read in the same way as the letter Ii. This sound is similar to the Russian sound I. In the examples, you can clearly hear how to pronounce this sound.
Useful
A diphthong is when one letter contains two sounds. For example, in the letter a, two sounds.
Open closed syllable in English: exercises
Now let's practice a little. Choose which of the sounds is present in the word.
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