Prepare for the Reading Specialist 221 Exam. Use flashcards and multiple-choice questions with hints and explanations to enhance your readiness. Ace your test!

Multiple Choice

Which part of a syllable comes before the vowel?

The part that comes before the vowel in a syllable is called the onset. It can be a single consonant or a cluster of consonants that lead into the vowel sound (the nucleus). For example, in cat the onset is the consonant c; in tree the onset is the consonant cluster tr. Some syllables begin with a vowel, in which case there is no onset at all—the vowel starts the syllable. The other terms aren’t parts of a syllable: a lexicon is a mental dictionary of words, a logograph is a symbol that represents a word or morpheme, and phonetic writing refers to systems that represent sounds, not a specific syllable segment.

The part that comes before the vowel in a syllable is called the onset. It can be a single consonant or a cluster of consonants that lead into the vowel sound (the nucleus). For example, in cat the onset is the consonant c; in tree the onset is the consonant cluster tr. Some syllables begin with a vowel, in which case there is no onset at all—the vowel starts the syllable. The other terms aren’t parts of a syllable: a lexicon is a mental dictionary of words, a logograph is a symbol that represents a word or morpheme, and phonetic writing refers to systems that represent sounds, not a specific syllable segment.