100 Open Syllable Words for Kids (Printable Lists & Activities)
Boost decoding and reading skills by teaching kids about open syllables. These teaching tips, activities, and printable word lists can help!
What Are Open Syllables?
Open syllables are syllables that end in a vowel, with no consonant following it. In open syllables, the vowel typically has a long sound, as in words like go, me, or she. Open syllables can contain anywhere from one to four letters. There are also closed syllables, with occur when a vowel is followed by a consonant.
Open Syllable: A syllable that ends in a vowel (no consonant at the end).
Closed Syllable: A syllable that ends in a consonant.
Tip: Children typically learn about closed syllable words before open syllable words.
Why Are Open Syllables Words Important?
Understanding open syllables can help children decode and pronounce unfamiliar words correctly. Recognizing whether a syllable is open or closed (ending in a consonant) can guide young readers in determining whether the vowel sound in a word is long or short. This foundational skill strengthens reading fluency and can build confidence as children have more resources to decode unfamiliar words.
Learn more about open and closed syllables here, as well how to teach them and engaging activities to help support learning them.
Tips for Teaching Open Syllables:
Keep these guidelines in mind when working on open syllables with children:
- If a syllable ends in a vowel, it is an open syllable.
- The vowel in an open syllable likely stands for the long vowel sound.
- If a syllable ends in the letter I, the I likely has a long I sound (/ī/).
- If a syllable ends in the letter O, the O likely has a long O sound (/ō/).
- If a syllable ends in the letter E, the E likely has a long E sound (/ē/).
- If a syllable ends in the letter A, the A likely has a long A sound (/ā/) or the shwa (/ǔ/) sound.
- If a syllable ends in the letter U, the U likely has a long U sound (/ū/ or /oo/).
List of Open Syllable Words with One Syllable
- be
- cry
- dry
- flu
- fry
- go
- he
- hi
- no
- pry
- she
- shy
- ski
- spry
- so
- try
- we
- why
Tip: When the letter Y appears at the end of a word, it functions as a vowel, particularly in open syllables. In one syllable words, the letter Y typically makes the long /ī/ sound, as in try. In words with more than one syllable, Y usually (but not always) produces the long /ē/ sound, as in baby.
List of Open Syllable Words with Two Syllables
- ago – a-go
- also – al-so
- baby – ba-by
- bacon – ba-con
- began – be-gan
- being – be-ing
- bison – bi-son
- broken – bro-ken
- bugle – bu-gle
- cargo – car-go
- cedar – ce-dar
- climate – cli-mate
- cubic – cu-bic
- data – da-ta
- depot – de-pot
- ego – e-go
- female – fe-male
- future – fu-ture
- giant – gi-ant
- hero – he-ro
- human – hu-man
- humor – hu-mor
- humid – hu-mid
- judo – ju-do
- legal – le-gal
- lion – li-on
- maybe – may-be
- meter – me-ter
- moment – mo-ment
- music – mu-sic
- over – o-ver
- photo – pho-to
- pilot – pi-lot
- poem – po-em
- program – pro-gram
- protect – pro-tect
- pupil – pu-pil
- react – re-act
- repeat – re-peat
- reply – re-ply
- rival – ri-val
- secret – se-cret
- silent – si-lent
- solo – so-lo
- spider – spi-der
- tiger – ti-ger
- tiny – ti-ny
- title – ti-tle
- total – to-tal
- veto – ve-to
- yoga – yo-ga
- zebra – ze-bra
- zero – ze-ro
Tip: Please note that some of these words in the following lists also feature more challenging phonics concepts, such as digraphs and vowel teams. Use the words that are best suited to your child’s learning level.
List of Open Syllable Words with Three Syllables
- area – ar-e-a
- bicycle – bi-cy-cle
- diagram – di-a-gram
- dinosaur – di-no-saur
- fugitive – fu-gi-tive
- museum – mu-se-um
- musician – mu-si-cian
- patio – pat-i-o
- piano – pi-an-o
- potato – po-ta-to
- radio – ra-di-o
- recycle – re-cy-cle
- relation – re-la-tion
- rodeo – ro-de-o
- studio – stu-di-o
- tomato – to-ma-to
- triangle – tri-an-gle
- usual – u-su-al
- video – vid-e-o
- violin – vi-o-lin
- volcano – vol-ca-no
Tip: The letter I can make the short I sound (/ǐ/) when it connects other syllables together, as in “fu-gi-tive” and “mu-si-cian.”
List of Open Syllable Words with Four or More Syllables
- communicate – com-mu-ni-cate
- community – com-mu-ni-ty
- hospitality – hos-pi-tal-i-ty
- investigator – in-ves-ti-ga-tor
- macaroni – mac-a-ro-ni
- photography – pho-tog-ra-phy
- precipitation – pre-cip-i-ta-tion
- unusual – un-u-su-al
Activities for Teaching Open Syllable Words
Mark the Open Syllables
Read through the lists of words above, working with your child to say each syllable out loud. Have your child highlight the open syllables they find in each word. Continue this practice with our word lists for one syllable words, two syllable words, and three syllable words.
Open Syllable Hopscotch
Create a hopscotch grid and write open syllable words in some squares and closed syllable words in others. As your child plays hopscotch, they read the word aloud in the square that they land on and identify if it’s an open or closed syllable.
Clap and Say
Choose several words from the list above and read them aloud with your child. Have your child clap once for each syllable they hear. After clapping and saying the syllables, ask your child which ones end in a vowel sound (open) or a consonant (closed). For example, for the word ba/by, they would clap twice and recognize that “ba” is an open syllable.
ABCmouse Online Syllable Games
Our online games are designed by experts to make screen time educational and enjoyable. Please note that some of these games may require an ABCmouse subscription to play.
Assemble words (many with open syllables) to equip Prospector Paul with the supplies he needs.
Count the syllables as Granny Franny says each word and select the correct option.
Free Printable Syllable Worksheets
These printables are perfect for kindergarten and first-grade practice, with matching activities, crosswords, fill-in-the-blank exercises, and more.
Sing Along with the ABCmouse Syllable Song
Sing and dance with the ABCmouse Syllable Song to practice breaking words apart into syllables and identifying if they’re open or closed.
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