Silent e (Magic e)
Learn the silent e or magic e rule, where a final e makes the vowel say its name, turning cap into cape and kit into kite. Phonics for ages 5-7.
Key takeaways
- A magic e at the end is silent
- The silent e makes the vowel say its name
- Add e and cap becomes cape
The e with a secret power
There is a special e that hides at the end of words. You do not say it out loud, so we call it silent e. But it has a magic power, so we also call it magic e!
When magic e is at the end, it reaches back and makes the vowel say its own name.
Watch the magic happen
Add a magic e and the word changes:
- cap 🧢 → cape 🦸 (the a now says "A")
- kit 🧰 → kite 🪁 (the i now says "I")
- hop 🐇 → hope 🤞 (the o now says "O")
- cub 🐻 → cube 🧊 (the u now says "U")
- pin 📌 → pine 🌲 (the i now says "I")
Before the e, the vowel was short and quick. After we add the e, the vowel says its name!
More magic e words
Read these out loud. Remember: the e stays silent.
- cake 🍰
- bike 🚲
- bone 🦴
- rose 🌹
- flute 🎶
A little rule to remember
When there is an e at the end, the vowel says its name, and the e stays quiet.
Try the games below to turn short words into magic-e words!
The magic e is one way to make long vowel sounds. It helps to know your short vowels a, e, i, o, u first.
Quick quiz
Test yourself and earn XP
What does a magic e do to the word 'cap'?
Adding a silent e turns cap into cape, and the a now says its name.
Do you say the e at the end of 'kite'?
The magic e is silent. You do not say it.
Which word has a magic e?
Hope ends in a silent e that makes the o say its name.
Play & learn
Match short word to its magic-e word +10 XP
Completed ✓ +10 XP
Build the magic-e words +10 XP
Completed ✓ +10 XP
FAQ
It is an e at the end of a word that you do not say. It magically makes the vowel before it say its own name.
Because it changes the word like magic: cap becomes cape and kit becomes kite, just by adding e.
Keep exploring
More in Learn to Read