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 term is defined as the end portion of a syllable including the vowel and any following consonants?

Understanding how a syllable is built helps decoding. The ending portion of a syllable, which contains the vowel and any consonants that follow it, is called the rime. The part before the vowel—the initial consonant or consonant cluster—is the onset, so the rime is the portion you hear as the core ending of the syllable. For example, in the syllable cat, the onset is c, and the rime is at (the vowel a plus the following t). In ship, the onset is sh and the rime is ip. Rhyme is a related term often used to describe the ending sounds of words that match, but the precise term for that syllable-ending portion is rime. Syllable shape and word calling describe different concepts and don’t name the ending portion.

Understanding how a syllable is built helps decoding. The ending portion of a syllable, which contains the vowel and any consonants that follow it, is called the rime. The part before the vowel—the initial consonant or consonant cluster—is the onset, so the rime is the portion you hear as the core ending of the syllable. For example, in the syllable cat, the onset is c, and the rime is at (the vowel a plus the following t). In ship, the onset is sh and the rime is ip. Rhyme is a related term often used to describe the ending sounds of words that match, but the precise term for that syllable-ending portion is rime. Syllable shape and word calling describe different concepts and don’t name the ending portion.