Silent e is a letter e at the end of a word that is not pronounced. Even though it is silent, it changes the way the vowel before it sounds. This is sometimes called the "magic e" or "bossy e" rule.
Silent e makes the vowel say its name (long vowel sound). Without it, the vowel usually makes its short sound.
When a word has an a followed by a consonant and then a silent e, the a usually makes the long a sound.
Remember: "a-consonant-e" makes the long a sound. Think of the silent e as helping the vowel say its name.
When a word has an i followed by a consonant and then a silent e, the i usually makes the long i sound.
Think of the pattern "i-consonant-e." The i says its long sound because of the silent e.
When a word has an o followed by a consonant and then a silent e, the o usually makes the long o sound.
The "o-consonant-e" pattern makes the long o sound. Say it slowly to hear the vowel change.
When a word has a u followed by a consonant and then a silent e, the u usually makes the long u sound.
The "u-consonant-e" pattern makes the long u sound, like the word "you." Sometimes it sounds like "oo." Practice to notice the difference.
Silent e is a powerful spelling pattern that changes short vowels into long vowels. Learning this pattern will help you read and spell many words correctly.
Underline the silent e when practicing. Read the word once without the e, then again with it to hear the difference.