Syllable: A unit of pronunciation that typically contains a vowel sound.
Closed Syllable: A syllable that has a vowel sound followed by one or more consonant sounds. This means the vowel sound is "closed in" by the consonant(s), and the vowel sound is typically short.
Examples of Closed Syllables:
* cat (one syllable, ends with a consonant sound)
* dog (one syllable, ends with a consonant sound)
* stop (one syllable, ends with a consonant sound)
* rabbit (two syllables, "rab" is closed because it ends with a consonant sound)
* butter (two syllables, "but" is closed because it ends with a consonant sound)
Key Points:
* The vowel sound in a closed syllable is usually short. For example, the "a" in "cat" is a short vowel sound.
* If a word has multiple syllables, each syllable can be either closed or open.
* Closed syllables are important for pronunciation and spelling.
Let me know if you have any other questions about closed syllables!