Long-Vowel Spelling Pattern with Silent e

I PRACTICE more short- and long-vowel words. We learned in the previous
lesson that the first vowel in a word is rendered long by the presence of a second vowel. The second vowel is treated as silent.

Observe the words pile and mile. They end in e, so the first vowel of each word will be treated as long, and the ending e will be treated as silent. Now observe the words back and tack. If a word ends in one, two, or three consonants, the enclosed vowel will be pronounced with the short sound.

Special Note: The word bass in list I is an unusual word in that it has two meanings and two pronunciations. A band student will likely read the word as |bās|, a musical instrument, but a student who fishes will likely say |băs|, a fish. Here, it is meant to be |băs|.

II – IV PRACTICE more silent e long-vowel words.
V & VI REVIEW silent e long-vowel words and short-vowel words.

Here is the main pattern to remember: When there are two vowels in the same syllable, the first vowel is pronounced with the long-vowel sound, and the second vowel is silent.

Examples:

In game, the a says |ā|, and the second vowel is silent.
In bike, the i says |ī|, and the second vowel is silent.
In code, the o says |ō|, and the second vowel is silent.
In fuse, the u says |ū|, and the second vowel is silent.
In Pete, the e says |ē|, and the second vowel is silent.

•  Lesson 34 includes words exhibiting the two sounds of s: |s| and |z|. It also presents the spelling pattern th, which may be either voiced or voiceless, depending on the word in which it appears. These subjects were discussed in Lessons 17 and 27, respectively. Examples: Skate has the |s| sound but fuse has the |z| sound. The th in those is voiced (causing vibration), but the th in theme is voiceless (causing no vibration).
• The sound of a long vowel is slightly blunted when the vowel is followed by the letter r. These are sometimes referred to as r-controlled words. Notice this with the words fire, here, cure, score, and fore.
• Names of people start with a capital letter. Use your student’s first and last names as examples.

Note: The word live will be pronounced with either |ī|, as in, “Sabrina’s show was broadcast live on TV” or |ĭ|, as in “LaMarcus and Lucy plan to live in Carlsbad.” Your student will be able to easily decide, based on the context of a sentence, which word is meant.