It’s A Rainbow of Syllable Types!

Did you know that there’s more to analysing the syllables in words than simply counting how many there are?

Syllables can actually be classified according to their type. There are six main syllable types, as outlined below:

• Closed syllable: A closed syllable has only one vowel and is followed by one or more consonants. The vowel has a short vowel sound.
• Open syllable: An open syllable ends in a vowel. The vowel has a long vowel sound. The vowel says its letter name. Remember that ‘y’ can act as a vowel.
• Magic e syllable: A magic e syllable has one vowel and is followed by a consonant and a silent e. The vowel has a long vowel sound. 
• Vowel team syllable: A vowel team syllable has a team of two or more letters that work together to make one vowel sound. Sometimes, the team includes consonant letters, like ay, oy, ow, and aw.      
• R-controlled syllable: An r-controlled syllable has an r following a vowel. The r changes the vowel sound to neither long nor short.       
• Consonant +le: A consonant +le syllable comes at the end of a word. It has a consonant, then an l, then a silent e.         

While this may seem complicated at first, the goal of teaching syllable types to our students is a very simple one: to equip them with the tools necessary to decode and encode any word (or any size!) they may encounter!

This worksheet has been designed to help students identify the six syllable types in common words. Students are required to colour each space following the colour key to reveal the image. They need to leave blank spaces white. An answer key is included.

Tips for Scaffolding and Extension

This syllables resource has been designed to help your students better understand syllable types. Should you need to support or extend students in your class, you may wish to try the following ideas: 

• For students who require support, provide them with a visual reminder of the syllable types to refer to while completing the puzzle. Our Types of Syllables Posters would be perfect for this purpose!
• For students who require an extension, challenge them to write a list of all the other syllables (and their accompanying syllable type) that can be found on the worksheet.

Download the File Format That Best Suits You

Use the dropdown menu next to the Download button to select between the PDF or editable Google Slides version of this resource.

Because this resource includes an answer sheet, we recommend you print one copy of the entire file. Then, make photocopies of the blank worksheet for students to complete.

To save paper, why not project the activity onto a screen and work through it as a class? Have students come up to the board in turn to colour in a word using whiteboard markers. Your students will love seeing the rainbow appear before their very eyes!

This resource was created by Lisamarie Del Valle, a Teach Starter collaborator.