The Silent E


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Examples, videos, and songs to help First Grade kids learn how to pronounce words with the silent E.

The silent E is a powerful letter that changes the way we read and pronounce words. It is often found at the end of a word, where it is silent but influences the preceding vowel sound.

What Does Silent E Do?

  1. Makes the Vowel Long:
    The silent E changes a short vowel sound into a long vowel sound (where the vowel “says its name”).
    cap → cape (short “a” becomes long “a”)
    hop → hope (short “o” becomes long “o”)
    rid → ride (short “i” becomes long “i”)

  2. Stops Words from Ending in V:
    English words don’t end with the letter V, so the silent E is added.
    For example, give, live

List of words where the E is not pronounced.
The following diagram shows a list of words that has the silent E. Scroll down the page for more examples and explanations using the silent E.

Silent E

  1. Silent E Exceptions
    There are some exceptions where the silent E doesn’t follow the typical rule:
    For example: love, have, give: The vowel sound doesn’t change, but the E is still silent.
    For example: done, come: These have irregular vowel sounds.

  2. Fun Fact:
    The silent E is sometimes called the “bossy E” or “magic E” because it changes the vowel sound!

Here are some free printable worksheets to help you practice using the silent E.

Printable Worksheets (Silent E)
Long A Silent E
Long I Silent E
Long O Silent E
Long U Silent E

Here are some videos that will help you learn the silent E.

Silent E
Phonics Song for Kids
The silent e at the end of a word makes the vowel before it say the long vowel sound while the e remains silent.

The Silent E Song for kids

The Magic E Song

Silent Letters
Silent B Silent C Silent D
Silent E Silent G Silent GH
Silent H Silent K Silent L
Silent T Silent W

Learn the Sounds of the Letters

Learning Short Vowels

Short Vowels
Short A Short E Short I
Short O Short U Short Vowels

Learning Long Vowels

Long Vowels
Long A Long E Long I
Long O Long U Y (vowel)
Long Vowels Short, Long Vowels

Compare Short & Long Vowels

Short & Long Vowels
Short & Long A Short & Long E Short & Long I
Short & Long O Short & Long U Short I & Long E

Learning Consonants

Consonants
Letter B Hard C Soft C
Letter D Letter F Hard G
Soft G Letter H Letter J
Letter K Letter L Letter M
Letter N Letter P Letter Q
Letter R Letter S Letter T
Letter V Letter W Letter X
Letter Y Letter Z S & Z Sounds

Consonant Blends
BL Sound CL Sound FL Sound
GL Sound PL Sound SL Sound
BR Sound CR Sound DR Sound
FR Sound GR Sound PR Sound
TR Sound SK Sound SN Sound
SP Sound ST Sound
3-letter Blends
Str, Spr, Scr, Str, Shr, Spl, Thr
Ending Blends
Nd, Nt, Nk, St, Ft, Lp, Ld, Lt, Mp, Sk



Try the free Mathway calculator and problem solver below to practice various math topics. Try the given examples, or type in your own problem and check your answer with the step-by-step explanations.
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