Magic E Syllable Word Lists (Free Printable)

Grab our free printable magic e word list to make teaching kindergarten, first grade, and 2nd graders about silent e words. We will explain what are syllables and a bossy e word list to make teaching this concept a breeze! We have suggestions for games and activities to master the skill while having fun!

Magic e Word List

Not familiar with Vowel Consonant E syllables? Don’t worry; we’ll explain! Magic E syllables contain a special e that changes the sounds of vowels in a word. They’re like a cool secret to learn.  Guess what? We’re giving you a FREE printable list with 116 magic E words. That’s a lot of words to practice with! And we’re not stopping there – we’ll also give you ideas on using these words in fun activities. Let’s make reading more fun and exciting together! Before diving into the enchanting world of Magic E (Vowel Consonant E) syllables, let’s review some basics.

Learn about the 6 syllable types and then dive in with words lists, game, and activities ideas for closed syllable words list with activity ideas, open syllable words, and Magic e words!

What Are Syllables?

A syllable is a distinct sound within the words we say or write. Most words are made up of multiple syllables. All syllables contain at least one vowel sound and are accompanied by one or more consonants. Syllables are like beats in music that give words a nice rhythm when we talk. They help words sound right and make our speech sound smooth.

Teaching Tip: It’s important to know the difference between syllables and phonemes because these terms often get confused. The number of syllables in a word has nothing to do with how many phonemes are in it. Each phoneme is a separate sound. Syllables are bigger groups made from one or more phonemes. So, a word may have one syllable with multiple phonemes hiding inside.

For example, the words cat and march both have one syllable and 3 phonemes.

• Cat – c-a- t
• March -m-ar-ch

Why Do We Teach Syllables?

Teaching syllables is important for several reasons:

• Word Decoding: Many English words are made up of multiple syllables. Teaching children to recognize and read syllables helps them break down unfamiliar words into smaller, more manageable parts. This makes decoding new words easier and enhances their reading skills.
• Chunking Strategy: Identifying syllables enables children to process words in smaller “chunks” rather than trying to sound out every single letter in a continuous string. This strategy helps them read more fluently and comprehend words more effectively.
• Overcoming Word Challenges: When faced with longer words, breaking them into syllables makes the task less intimidating. By tackling one syllable at a time, young readers feel more confident and are less likely to avoid or guess words.
• Spelling Accuracy: Understanding syllables aids not only in reading but also in spelling. When children need to spell complex words, they can use syllables as a guide, making remembering the correct sequence of letters easier.
• Word Fatigue: Lengthy words can be tiring for young readers. Breaking these words into syllables provides a step-by-step approach, preventing reader fatigue and encouraging persistence.

Teaching syllables equips children with effective reading and spelling strategies, empowering them to confidently handle various types of words and build strong language skills.

Vowel-Consonant-E (Magic E Syllables)

In this post, we are focusing on the Magic E Syllables. What is this vowel-consonant E, you ask?

Definition: The Magic E syllable type, also known as the Vowel-Consonant E syllable, is a pattern found in words that consist of a long vowel sound, a single consonant, and a silent “e” at the end. This silent “e” serves as a linguistic magician, magically transforming the preceding vowel sound from short to long.

Examples: cake, time, hope, cube, hide, late, note, ride, mute, stone

Characteristics

Magic E words exhibit the following characteristics:

• Long Vowel Sound Transformation: One of the primary functions of the Magic E is to change a short vowel sound into a long vowel sound within a word. For example, the short “a” sound in “rat” becomes a long “a” sound in “rate” due to the influence of the Magic E.
• Position at the End of Words: Magic E syllables typically appear at the end of words, altering the pronunciation of the preceding vowel. Words like “hide” and “note” exemplify this pattern.
• Occurrence in Compound Words: While usually found at the end of words, Magic E syllables can also be present in the middle of certain compound words. An example of this would be a word like “sideways.”

When Do You Start Teaching Vowel Consonant E Syllables?

The Magic E syllable type is typically introduced to students after they gain a solid foundation in phonics. This concept is generally taught around first grade. Students must be familiar with short and long vowel sounds. They must also understand closed and open syllables.

Once these foundational concepts are in place, introducing the Magic E syllable type becomes a natural progression. This allows students to grasp the concept more easily and apply it effectively as they continue to develop their reading and spelling skills.

Silent e words list

You’ll love our free printable Magic E word lists available below. Our free printable features 7 pages of word lists. The first five pages feature words with Magic E syllables sorted by vowel sounds. We also have a chart of longer Magic E words, just for fun! The last page is a fillable activity sheet.

Here are the words on our printable.

• Long A Words – Hate, cape, lane, made, take, bale, cage, dare, same, rate, care, fame, lake, page, maze, late, cake, tape, case, face.
• Long E Words – These are surprisingly hard to find! Eve, theme, these, here, sincere, complete, athlete, compete, concrete, stampede, trapeze, recede, scene, gene, delete, severe, precede, concede, deplete, centipede.
• Long I Words – Mice, vine, hike, nine, kite, side, rice, hide, dive, life, mile, time, fire, fine, wire, like, tire, bite, wide, dive.
• Long O Words – Bone, rope, cone, cope, core, wove, doze, rose, hole, home, woke, hope, hose, joke, phone, code, sole, drove, alone, stove,
• Long U Words – Rule, cube, Cure, Cute, tube, reuse, duke, dune, fume, huge, amuse, lure, mule, muse, mute, refuse, module, pure, rule, sure.
• Longer Silent E Words – Calculate, cupcake, extreme, molecule, ridicule, centipede, multiuse, conclude, attitude, juvenile, cumulate, include, prelude, pollute, globule, overrule.

Bossy e word list

Here are some ideas for using your free Magic E syllable word lists:

• Magic E Wand: Tape yellow stars onto craft sticks. Print the letter E on the star and add some glitter if you wish. Pretend to turn CVC words into CVCE words by adding the magic “e” and changing the vowel sound.
• Folded Strips: Write CVCE words on paper strips. Fold the strip at the “e” to show the difference between reading with and without the silent “e.” For example, with “dime,” fold back at the “e” to reveal “dim” and “e.”
• Magnetic Letters: During small group activities, use magnetic letters. Dictate CVC words for kids to build, then change the vowel sound and add the “e.” This helps them grasp when to use the silent “e.”

You can use words like dime, ripe, made, rate, hide, and cute for these 3 activities.

Magic e words

Here are a few more ideas for leanring magic e word with kids:

4. • Word Hunt: Encourage students to find Magic E words in their books or around the room. This activity reinforces their ability to spot these special words
   • Writing Practice: Have children choose words from the list and use them in sentences. This enhances their writing skills and deepens their understanding of the words.
   • Syllable Hunt: Create a game where children search for words with a specific number of syllables. This activity sharpens their syllable identification skills.
   • Word Wall: Use the word lists to make a word wall at home. This resource aids children in reading and spelling, serving as a handy reference.
   • Phonic Notebook: Encourage kids to cut out words from the list, glue or staple them into a notebook, and even illustrate them. This personalized phonic notebook fosters ownership of learning.
   • Matching Game: Write two-syllable words’ first and second syllables on separate index cards. Shuffle the cards and have children match them to create words.
   • Word Search: Select words from the list and create a word search puzzle. This engaging activity makes learning fun.
   • Word Bingo: Use the editable 4×4 table from the printable. Fill it with Magic e syllable words and print. You will need to shuffle the words around on the card for each player. Players takes turns reading a word aloud and covering it with a bingo chip. Every player finds the word on their card and does the same. the first one to get 4 chips in a row wins.

Thank you for joining us in this exploration of magic E syllables. We hope it has been helpful! Learning to use the magic E syllable is fun, so enjoy it. As you implement these word lists into your teaching or homeschooling activities, you nurture your young learners’ lifelong love for reading. Why not click on that download button and grab your FREE Magic E syllable word lists now?  

This post is one of a series of posts on the 6 different syllable types. See our posts on

• Open Syllable Word list
• Closed Syllables Words – with a free printable word list
• Silent E Word list – free printable for learning about the magic e
• Vowel Team Words with free printable list
• R-Controlled word list with free printable
• Consonant LE Syllables with free printable word list