Syllables Teaching Resources
Open the door to understanding both closed syllables and open syllables in your classroom this school year with printables, worksheets, activities, games, and digital teaching resources to help students make sense of this unit of pronunciation.
What Is a Syllable?
You may be new to teaching this part of the ELA curriculum, but perhaps you remember sitting in a classroom as a child with your hand beneath your chin as you pronounced words? Each time your chin hit your hand, you counted. Or maybe you clapped along as you slowly pronounced words, slapping your hands together as the chunks of the words containing vowels were broken up?
Both are simple but popular methods of counting syllables, a key component of learning this standard of ELA. But wait, what are syllables?
A syllable, by definition, is a part of a word that has a vowel in it.
For example, let's say you have the word open. This word is made up of two syllables — the vowel "o" stands on its own as one syllable, and "pen" is the second part of the word containing a vowel.
Syllables are often described as the phonological building blocks of words as they help us organize the speech sounds within a word.
Some of the benefits of learning about syllables include the following:
- Students become better readers and writers
- Students develop spelling skills
- Syllables form the basis of haiku writing in fourth or fifth grade
Types of Syllables
Syllables can be made up of just vowels or a vowel and accompanying consonants. To differentiate, syllables are broken down into 6 main types:
- Open syllables: An open syllable ends with a vowel sound that is spelled with a single vowel letter. The vowel sound in an open syllable is a long vowel sound. In the example above, the "o" in open is an open syllable.
- Closed syllables: A closed syllable ends with a consonant, and the vowel in this type of syllable is short, such as the "e" in "pen" in the example above.
- R-controlled syllable: Words like bar and far are examples of r-controlled syllables that contain a vowel before the letter "r." This "r" dictates how the vowel sounds.
- Vowel-consonant-e syllable: You will typically find this type of syllable at the end of a word.
- Vowel team syllable: When there are two vowels next to one another in a word, forming a new sound, you have what's known as a vowel team syllable. For example, the "ou" in "sound" is a vowel team syllable.
- Consonant+l-e or Final Stable Syllable: This is another syllable type that is often found at the end of the word, such as the "-ble" at the end of the word "syllable."
How to Teach Syllables
To make your syllable lesson plans easy, the expert teachers on the Teach Starter team have created syllable sorting activities, open and closed syllable tasks, and more activities to add to your lessons. Explore the collection below!
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Types of Syllables Anchor Charts
Remind your students about the most common syllable types with this set of classroom display posters.
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What is the Syllable Type? - Color By Syllables Worksheet
Practice identifying the six syllable types in common words with this color-coding activity.
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Syllable Types and Syllable Division
Divide multisyllabic words into syllables and identify their syllable types with this Google Slides interactive activity.
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Syllable Examples Sorting Activity
Practice identifying and sorting syllable types in two- and three-syllable words with this treasure-themed sorting activity.
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Fall Phonics - Kindergarten Worksheet Pack
Bring a bit of fall into the classroom with a set of fall-themed worksheets covering syllables, blending, segmenting, and more!
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Syllable Types – Two Syllables Interactive Activity
Identify types of syllables in two-syllable words with this Google Slides Interactive activity.
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Syllable Types – Single Syllable Interactive Activity
Identify types of syllables in single syllable words with this Google Slides Interactive activity.
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Syllable Types - Instructional Slide Deck
Teach students about the six syllable types with this comprehensive interactive instructional slide deck.
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Decoding Multisyllabic Words - Syllable Type Interactive Activity
Practice identifying syllable types in two- and three-syllable words with this engaging interactive activity.
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Counting, Blending, and Segmenting Syllables Interactive Activity
Practice blending, segmenting, and counting syllables in words with a Google Interactive activity.
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6 Syllable Types - Syllables Worksheet Pack
Strengthen your students’ understanding of the six types of syllables with this set of game-based worksheets.
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Types of Syllables - Worksheet Pack
Identify and match words to the correct syllable types with this set of five worksheets.
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Open and Closed Syllable Rainbow Puzzles
Practice identifying open and closed syllables with a rainbow-matching activity.
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Word Study List — Final Stable Syllable
Introduce and explore multisyllable words with a list of final stable syllable words.
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Multisyllable Words Worksheets
Build multisyllable word decoding skills with a Science of Reading based worksheet pack.
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How Many Syllables? - Worksheet
Practice counting syllables in spoken words.
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Syllable Clip Cards
A fun, hands-on activity to practice syllable recognition.
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Syllable Count Board Game
Segment and count up to 4 syllables with this game board and set of 33 picture cards.
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Santa's Syllable Sort - Christmas Reading Center
Help students practice breaking words into syllables with a Christmas literacy center.
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Spaced Out Syllable Types - Interactive Activity
Learn about and identify the six syllable types with this engaging digital resource.
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Syllable Types Bingo
Practice identifying the six syllable types in common words with this fun and engaging bingo game.
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Syllable Types - Cut and Paste Worksheets
Identify and match words to the correct syllable types with this set of three treasure-themed worksheets.
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Identifying Syllable Types - Worksheets
Practice breaking words into syllables and identifying the corresponding syllable types with this set of six worksheets.
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Groundhog Day Syllable Sort
Practice identifying and sorting syllable types in two- and three-syllable words with this Groundhog Day syllable sorting activity.
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Dividing Syllables - Syllable Types Interactive Activity
Practice breaking words into syllables and labeling each syllable with its corresponding syllable type.
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Missing Syllables in a Word - Interactive Activity
Identify the missing syllables in a word with this interactive drag-and-drop activity.
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Syllables Treasure Hunt - Google Slides Phonics Games
Practice the correct method of breaking words into their syllables with this engaging interactive activity.
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Syllable Types - Interactive Puzzle Activity
Learn about the six syllable types by solving word puzzles with this interactive drag-and-drop activity.
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I Spy Syllable Types - Worksheets
Identify and color words according to their syllable types with this set of six multisyllable word worksheets.
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Snowflake Syllables - Winter Reading Center
Help students practice breaking words into syllables and identifying open and closed syllables with a winter literacy center.
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Penguin Syllable Sorting Activity
Count syllables to help these chilly penguins escape the frigid water by sorting them onto the correct ice floes.
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Spring Syllables - Syllable Sort
Save the baby birds by clapping and counting syllables in words with this Spring syllable sorting activity.