Which syllable type is described as ending in a vowel with a long vowel sound, as in bagel?

• A. Closed syllable
• B. Open syllable
• C. R controlled syllable
• D. Vowel digraph

Answer: (B)

An open syllable ends in a vowel, and the vowel usually has its long sound because nothing closes the syllable. In bagel, the first syllable is ba, which ends in a vowel and the a sounds like its name—the long vowel sound. The next part, gel, starts with a consonant and forms a new syllable, where the vowel sound isn’t long. Other patterns like a vowel that is affected by an r or two vowels making one sound describe different vowel behaviors, not this open-ending, long-vowel pattern. So the described syllable type is open.