Which syllable type uses a silent 'e' at the end to signal a long vowel?

• A. Open
• B. Consonant-le
• C. Silent e
• D. Vowel-r

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is that a final silent e changes how the preceding vowel sounds, signaling that it is long. When the e at the end isn’t pronounced, it still tells you to say the vowel before it by its name, as in bake (a long a) or note (long o) or cape (long a). This pattern is often called the silent e or magic e pattern. It’s different from a word where the vowel is long simply because the syllable ends with a vowel (open syllable) or patterns where different letters create other vowel sounds (like vowel-r or certain consonant-le endings). So, if you see a word ending in a silent e, expect the vowel right before it to be long.