A closed syllable is a vowel followed by a consonant. Examples include cap, sit, and up. It’s also called a closed syllable because the vowel is “closed in” by a consonant. In closed syllables, the vowel usually says its short sound.
There are more than one consonant used to close in a syllable, as in dish and stretch. And many multi syllable words contain closed syllables, as in insect, rabbit, and napkin.
In brief, closed syllables are syllables or words that END with a consonant that “closes in” the vowel, making it say the SHORT sound.
Further, let us explain closed syllable and exception with examples:
Closed Syllable Rule
1. Only has one vowel.
2. The vowel is followed by one or more consonants (closed in).
3. The vowel sound is short.
Examples:
| REAL | NONSENSE |
| cup | nib |
| it | ab |
| pest | Poth |
| stump | Misp |
Examples of Closed Syllable Exceptions Words
-ild, -old, -olt, -ost, -ind glued sounds are the exceptions to the closed syllable rule because the vowel makes the long sound instead of the expected short sound.
| – old | – olt | – ost | – ild | – ind |
| cold | colt | post | mild | wind |
| mold | bolt | host | wild | kind |
| hold | holt | most | child | bind |
| sold | jolt | find | ||
| fold | molt | hind | ||
| gold | mind |
Keep exploring EnglishBix to learn different concepts related to closed syllable words.
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