Closed Syllables: The Short Vowel Locked In

Recognize closed syllables, where a consonant after the vowel makes it short.

A closed syllable has one vowel followed by at least one consonant. The consonant 'closes the door' on the vowel, and the vowel usually makes its short sound. Words like cat, sit, and jump are closed syllables all by themselves. Closed syllables also live inside longer words. Look at 'napkin'. Split it into nap and kin. In 'nap', the p closes in the a, so you say a short a.

In 'kin', the n closes in the i, so you say a short i. Put them together: nap-kin. When you meet a long word, look for the closed syllables first. They are the most common syllable type in English, so they are often the easiest pieces to read.

• 1Closed = one vowel followed by a consonant.
• 2The vowel in a closed syllable is usually short.
• 3Closed syllables are the most common type in English.