Silent e worksheets
Add a silent e: 16 word pairs · 1 page + answer key
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The fastest way to understand silent e is to watch it work. On this sheet, your child reads a short vowel word (cap, kit, hop, cub), adds an e to the end, writes the new word and reads it: cape, kite, hope, cube. The vowel changes from short to long, and the e itself stays quiet.
Every pair on the sheet is a real word both ways, covering a_e, i_e, o_e and u_e. The answer key lists the new words.
Many programs teach silent e (also called VCe or magic e) after short vowels, digraphs and blends, and before vowel teams. Once this feels easy, try silent e sound boxes, where the e shares a box with the consonant before it because it has no sound.
Tips for using it
- Read each pair out loud: cap, cape. Ask, 'What did the e do?'
- Use letter tiles and literally slide an e onto the end of the word.
Variations
All phonics worksheetsQuestions
What is magic e?
A silent e at the end of a word that makes the vowel before it say its name, as in cap and cape. It's also called silent e, bossy e or the VCe pattern.
Why don't all words with e at the end have a long vowel?
Some common words, like have, give, love and come, are exceptions. Others, like the and be, end in e but aren't vowel-consonant-e words.