Which word contains a silent e at the end signaling a long vowel?

Which word contains a silent e at the end signaling a long vowel?

• A. lake
• B. horn
• C. bird
• D. rhythm

Answer: (A)

A final silent e at the end of a word often tells you the preceding vowel should be heard as its long form. In lake, the a sounds like its name /eɪ/—even though the e isn’t spoken, it signals that long vowel and creates the /eɪ/ sound. This CVCe pattern—consonant, vowel, consonant, silent e—is a common way English marks long vowels. The other words don’t use that cue: horn has a short vowel with no ending e to lengthen it; bird uses an r-controlled vowel rather than a long vowel signal; rhythm has no final e and its vowels aren’t indicated by a trailing silent e.

A final silent e at the end of a word often tells you the preceding vowel should be heard as its long form. In lake, the a sounds like its name /eɪ/—even though the e isn’t spoken, it signals that long vowel and creates the /eɪ/ sound. This CVCe pattern—consonant, vowel, consonant, silent e—is a common way English marks long vowels. The other words don’t use that cue: horn has a short vowel with no ending e to lengthen it; bird uses an r-controlled vowel rather than a long vowel signal; rhythm has no final e and its vowels aren’t indicated by a trailing silent e.