Which syllable type is the first syllable in the word phoneme according to the given breakdown?

Which syllable type is the first syllable in the word phoneme according to the given breakdown?

• A. Open
• B. Closed
• C. VCE
• D. R-controlled

Answer: (A)

Open syllables end with a vowel, so the vowel typically has a long sound. In phoneme, the word breaks as pho-ne-me, and the first syllable is pho. It ends with the vowel o before the consonant n begins the next syllable, leaving the vowel unfettered by a consonant. That makes this syllable open, and its vowel is pronounced long (like /foʊ/). The other patterns don’t fit the first syllable here: a closed syllable would end with a consonant, a VCE pattern would involve a silent e within the same syllable to make the vowel long, and an r-controlled pattern would involve an r altering the vowel effect, which isn’t present in the opening syllable.

Open syllables end with a vowel, so the vowel typically has a long sound. In phoneme, the word breaks as pho-ne-me, and the first syllable is pho. It ends with the vowel o before the consonant n begins the next syllable, leaving the vowel unfettered by a consonant. That makes this syllable open, and its vowel is pronounced long (like /foʊ/). The other patterns don’t fit the first syllable here: a closed syllable would end with a consonant, a VCE pattern would involve a silent e within the same syllable to make the vowel long, and an r-controlled pattern would involve an r altering the vowel effect, which isn’t present in the opening syllable.