How do I solve BIG words that I don’t know?

1. Circle the prefixes.

2. BOX the suffixes.
3. Underline or highlight the vowels.
4. Look for the vowel pattern and break the word into parts or
syllables.
5. Figure out each part or syllable.
6. Blend the parts back together and read it until it sounds like a
real word.

How do I break a word into syllables?

1. Look for syllable patterns you already know: Vowel + r (Bossy r), v-e (silent or “magic” e), -le
2. Point to (or highlight) the vowels and vowel teams.
3. Count HOW MANY CONSONANTS are between the first 2 vowels.
If there are 2 or MORE consonants between the vowels. . .
- Split between the consonants.
- ALWAYS Keep digraphs and trigraphs together (sh, th, ck, ch, ph, tch, ng)
bas ket basket sub mit submit bath tub bathtub buck et bucket

If there is only 1 consonant between the vowels, Try splitting it BOTH ways:

- AFTER the consonant makes the FIRST syllable CLOSED and vowel sound is SHORT
com et comet cab in cabin
- BEFORE the consonant makes the FIRST syllable OPEN and vowel sound LONG.
o pen open e ven even
4. Solve EACH syllable and blend them together to read the WHOLE WORD.
bas ket ball basketball mag net ize magnetize fab u lous fabulous
 Using Syllables To Decode & Solve Words:
What are the different TYPES of syllables and their
spelling patterns that I should look for in a word?

Type of Syllable Examples Features

Closed nap-kin -syllable ends with a
consonant
pit -SHORT vowel sound
swing
EXCEPT words with
-ind -ild -ost -old –olt
V-e cake -vowel-consonant-e
Vowel-Consonant-e -silent e makes NO
hope sound
-makes the VOWEL
say its name or LONG
sound.

EXCEPT words ending

with –ve (they are
SHORT, like give &
have)
Open be (before) -syllable ends with a
vowel
so (sofa) -LONG vowel sound

Vowel + r bird, turn, her -r controls the vowel

sound, making it into
card ONE sound
torch -er/ir/ur have same
sound.
-ar
-or
Vowel Teams Long: Diphthongs: -many Vowel Teams
or Double Vowels
meet fraud
make the LONG
boat couch sound.
pie spoon -some (oo, au, ou, ea)
fruit bear make OTHER sounds.
bread *ea can make the
sound of Short e,
Long e, or Long a
–le bubble -final syllable in many
words
Consonant –le
little -unaccented syllable
jingle
 How do I divide a word into syllables?
There are some Syllable Division rules that may help you to
break a multisyllabic word into syllables, which will make it
easier to decode (break apart) and read:
Rule When to Apply Rule: Examples
1. Divide between the 2 When there are two cat nip
consonants that are beside consonants right next to
each other (UNLESS it’s a
ton sil
each other between two
digraph or blend). The first vowels
syllable should be CLOSED and
the vowel sound SHORT.
2. Try splitting a single consonant When there is a word with Split After:
both ways when found only ONE consonant
between two vowels and read
rab id
between two vowels
to see what “sounds right.” riv er
*SOME of the time- split AFTER sev en
the consonant, putting the
consonant with the 1st syllable to
“close in” the vowel to make
Split Before:
the 1st syllable CLOSED & vowel e ven
SHORT. o pen
*MOST of the time- split BEFORE pre tend
the consonant to make it go
into the 2nd syllable, leaving the
1st syllable OPEN & the vowel
LONG.
3. NEVER separate digraphs *When there are only 2 2 consonants
(sh, th, ch, wh, ph) and consonants between the making a
trigraphs (tch). vowels & the consonants digraph:
are a DIGRAPH (makes ONE rock et
sound) jack et
*When there are 3
consonants between the 2 3 consonants
vowels and 2 of the making a
consonants are a digraph trigraph:
hatch et
 3 consonants
with 2 of them a
digraph:
bath tub
nut shell

4. Consonant BLENDS almost When there is a consonant gum drop

always stay together. blend between two vowels, pump kin
(br, dr, cr, fl, st, mp, nd…) the blend usually stays
together.
When 4 consonants are hand clasp
together between 2 vowels yard stick
and the consonants are
blends, split between them.

5. “In-between” blends When there are 3 hun dred

almost always go with the 2nd consonants that look like 2 pan try
syllable in words that are NOT blends (nd, dr, tr, nt…) (y is the vowel)
compound words. found between 2 vowels

Compound Words are an When the word is a

EXCEPTION because they split Compound Word with 3 sand lot
between the smaller words consonants between 2 wind pipe
inside them. . . vowels (and 2 of the
consonants make a blend)
the blend usually stays
together but does NOT
have to go in the 2nd
syllable.