Closed and Open Syllables Worksheets - 15 Worksheets Library - Free Printable

Let’s go through each word one by one and decide if the first syllable is open or closed.

Remember:
- An open syllable ends with a vowel that makes its long sound (like “a” in “cake”).
- A closed syllable ends with a consonant, and the vowel makes its short sound (like “a” in “cat”).

We’re only looking at the first syllable of each word.

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1. depend → de-pend → first syllable: “de” → ends with vowel → open
2. flyer → fly-er → first syllable: “fly” → ends with consonant? Wait — “y” can be tricky. But here, “fly” has a long “i” sound and ends with “y”, which acts like a vowel. So it’s open. Actually, let’s think: “fly” = f-l-y → y is acting as a vowel ending → so open syllable.
BUT — wait! In “flyer”, the first syllable is “fly”. Since “y” is at the end and making a vowel sound, it’s considered open. ✔ Open

3. ripple → rip-ple → first syllable: “rip” → ends with consonant → closed
4. soda → so-da → first syllable: “so” → ends with vowel → open

5. repeat → re-peat → first syllable: “re” → ends with vowel → open
6. divot → div-ot → first syllable: “div” → ends with consonant → closed

7. deter → de-ter → first syllable: “de” → ends with vowel → open
8. timid → tim-id → first syllable: “tim” → ends with consonant → closed

9. styling → styl-ing → first syllable: “styl” → ends with consonant → closed
(“y” here is part of the consonant blend “stl”? No — actually, “styl” = s-t-y-l → ends with “l”, a consonant → closed)

10. music → mu-sic → first syllable: “mu” → ends with vowel → open

11. maple → map-le → first syllable: “map” → ends with consonant → closed
12. sitting → sit-ting → first syllable: “sit” → ends with consonant → closed

13. quilter → quil-ter → first syllable: “quil” → ends with consonant → closed
14. remove → re-move → first syllable: “re” → ends with vowel → open

15. destroy → des-troy → first syllable: “des” → ends with consonant → closed
16. pimple → pim-ple → first syllable: “pim” → ends with consonant → closed

17. feckless → feck-less → first syllable: “feck” → ends with consonant → closed
18. wider → wid-er → first syllable: “wid” → ends with consonant → closed
Wait — “wid” = w-i-d → ends with “d” → consonant → closed. Even though “i” might seem long, in this case, because it’s followed by two consonants (“d” and then “e-r”), but we’re only looking at the first syllable split. Standard division: wid-er → yes, closed.

19. obey → o-bey → first syllable: “o” → ends with vowel → open
Actually, “obey” is often divided as o-bey → first syllable “o” → just the letter “o” → definitely open.

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Now let’s list them clearly:

depend → open
flyer → open
ripple → closed
soda → open
repeat → open
divot → closed
deter → open
timid → closed
styling → closed
music → open
maple → closed
sitting → closed
quilter → closed
remove → open
destroy → closed
pimple → closed
feckless → closed
wider → closed
obey → open

Wait — let me double-check “wider”. Is it really “wid-er”? Yes. First syllable “wid” ends with “d” → consonant → closed. Correct.

And “obey”: sometimes people say “oh-bay”, but phonetically, it’s /oʊˈbeɪ/, so first syllable is “o” → open. Correct.

Final check on “flyer”: “fly” ends with “y”, which is acting as a vowel → open syllable. Some sources may treat “y” differently, but in standard elementary syllable rules, if a syllable ends with a vowel sound (including “y” when it sounds like a vowel), it’s open. So “flyer” → first syllable “fly” → open.

All set!

Final Answer:
depend: open
flyer: open
ripple: closed
soda: open
repeat: open
divot: closed
deter: open
timid: closed
styling: closed
music: open
maple: closed
sitting: closed
quilter: closed
remove: open
destroy: closed
pimple: closed
feckless: closed
wider: closed
obey: open