The Silent E

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.

3. 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.
   

4. 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.

• Show Video

The Silent E Song for kids

• Show Video

The Magic E Song

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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

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