Drill Bits Table of Contents

These are lists that those of you who work with these six kinds of syllables (especially in multisensory, structured language programs such as Orton-Gillingham programs) might find useful. These are lists for extra practice - not to be confused with a reading program!

Ordering information

Closed Syllables

1. Short A
   3 real word progressions (changing one letter and sound with each word
   Basic syllables
   Syllables with blends
   Syllables without beginning consonant
   Syllables with "a" but with a different sound (e.g. -all)
   Especially challenging syllables (e.g., thrant)
   Vocabulary Enrichment (e.g., brash, hasp)
   
2. Short I
   Word progression
   ci and gi ("soft" c and g)
   Basic syllables
   Syllables with blends
   Syllables without beginning consonant
   Challenging syllables
   Vocabulary enrichment
   Two-syllable nonsense words (e.g. salpig, haspic)
   Mix of a and i syllables
3. Short O
   Word progressions
   Basic syllables
   Vocabulary enrichment
   Mix of a, i and o syllables
   Two-syllable words with a, i and o (e.g., contact, codfish)
4. Short U
   Word progression
   Basic syllables
   Basic syllables with blends
   Basic syllables without beginning consonant
   -ul words and syllables (e.g. gull, full)
   Two-syllable words
5. Short E
   Word progression
   Basic syllables
   Syllables with blends
   ce /ge practice ("soft" c and g)
   Syllables without beginning consonants
   VOcabulary enrichment
   Multisyllable words
6. Y in closed syllables
   Real words (e.g. gym, Lynn, rhythm)
   Basic syllables (e.g. sys, gypt, phys)
   cy and gy ("soft" c and g)
   Comprehensive list of words with y as a closed syllable vowel (e.g., typical, idyll)
   

Vowel-Consonant-E syllable

1. Introduction: closed syllables compared to silent e syllables
2. A-Consonant E
   Basic one-syllable words and syllables
   Two syllable words with closed and a-consonant-e syllables
   Three syllable words with closed and a-consonant-e syllables
   Common words with a-consonant-e (includes syllable types and patterns not yet introduced)
3. I-consonant-e
   Basic one-syllable words and syllables
   Two syllable words with closed and o-consonant-e syllables
   Three syllable words with closed and i-consonant-e syllables
   Common words with i-consonant-e (includes syllable types and patterns not yet introduced)
   Comprehensive list of i-consonant-e words
   Words ending in -ize (e.g., colonize, apologize)
   Words with -ire
4. O-Consonant E
   Basic one-syllable words and syllables
   Two syllable words with closed and o-consonant-e syllables
   Three syllable words with closed and o-consonant-e syllables
   Common words with o-consonat e (including syllable types and patterns not yet introduced)
   Comprehensive list of o-consonant-e words
5. U-consonant E
   Basic one-syllable words and syllables
   Two syllable words with closed and u-consonant-e syllables
   Three syllable words with closed and u-consonant-e syllables
   Common words with u-consonat e (including syllable types and patterns not yet introduced)
   Comprehensive list of u-consonant-e words
6. E-consonant E
   Basic one-syllable words and syllables
   Two syllable words with closed and e-consonant-e syllables
   Three syllable words with closed and e-consonant-e syllables
   Common e-consonant-e words (including syllable types and patterns not yet introduced)
7. Y-consonant-E
   One-syllable words and syllables
   Extensive list of words with y-consonant E
8. Review of common v-c-e syllables with all vowels
9. Vowel-consonant-e syllables and words with digraphs (e.g. bathe, clothe)
10. Words ending in -tude and -tutue
11. COmprehensive list of one syllable v-c-e words
12. Two-syllable words with closed and v-c-e syllables
13. Three-syllable words with closed and v-c-e syllables

Open Syllables

1. Real one-syllable Words (e.g. go, we)
2. Common open syllables with examples of words that include it
3. Two-syllable words with schwa
4. Four-letter words with open syllables
5. Multisyllable words: Open syllable at the beginning (open, closed and v-c-e syllables only)
6. Multisyllable words: Open syllable in the middle (open, closed and v-c-e syllables only)
7. Open syllables, long A -
   common words and content area words
   -asion words
   -acious words
   -ation words
8. Open Syllables, long I
   Common words and content area words
   -ify suffix (e.g., classify)
   -igh words (e.g., night)
   -ition words (without long i sound; for teaching spelling)
9. Open Syllables, long o
   Common words and content area words
   -old words (e.g. told, scaffold)
   -olt words
   -ost words
   -otion words
   - OW words (with long o sound)
10. Open Syllables, long U
    Common words and content area words
    -uous words
    -uity words (e.g. acuity)
    -ution words
    -usion words
11. Open syllables, long E
    Common words and content area words
    Words with e pronounced as "e" at the end of the word (e.g. apostrophe, coyote, epitome)
    -etion words
    -esion words
    -eous words
    
12. Open Syllables: Y with long I sound
    Comprehensive list of words
    Common words with Y as long I at the end of a word (e.g. why, supply)
    

R-Controlled Syllables

1. AR (as in car)
   One-syllable words
   Multisyllable words with only closed, open, v-c-e and r-controlled patterns
   Other multisyllable words (e.g. aardvark, article)
2. OR (as in for)
   One-syllable words
   Multisyllable words
   Words ending in -ore
3. ER (as in her)
   One-syllable words
   The most common words with ER (e.g. other, wonder)
   Multisyllable words with only closed, open, v-c-e and -er syllables
   
4. UR
   One syllable words
   Multisyllable words with only closed, open, v-c-e and -ur syllables
   Comprehensive list of -UR- words
   -URE words with "yer" sound (e.g. cure, figure)
   -URE words with "er" sound (e.g. future, sure)
5. YR
   "er" sound (e.g. martyr)
   "ear" sound (e.g., lyrics)
6. IR
   One syllable words
   Multisyllable words with closed, open, v-c-e and r-controlled syllables
   IR words with "CIR" (e.g. circus, curculate)
   Words derived from "IRE" base words (e.g., perspiration)
   Comprehensive "IR" list

Consonant-L-E syllables

1. Sample of words sorted by the ending (-ble, -cle, -dle, etcl)
2. Basic practice lists of double vs. single consonant words (Bible vs. bubble
3. Comprehensive list of consonant-l-e words (except -able and -ible words)
4. -able and -ible words.

"Vowel Digraph" Syllables

1. OO as in foot
2. OO as in soon
3. OY words
4. OI words
5. OU words
6. OW words
7. AU words
8. AW words
9. Long A sound
   AI: common words and content area words
   AI: extensive list of ai words
   AY: common and content area words
   AY: extensive list
   EI: Common words
   EI: Comprehensive list
   EA: Common words (e.g., great)
   EY: Common words and commprehensive list (e.g., they)
   AIR and AIRE
10. Long I Sound:
    IE at the end of a word
11. LONG O sound
    OW: common words
    OA: Common words and comprehensive list
12. LONG U sound
    EW words
    EU words
    UE words
    OU words (e.g. coupon)
13. LONG E Sound
    EE words
    IE at the end of words
    "I before E" words
    EY at the end of words
    EI after c (e.g., ceiling)
    Other "ei" words (e.g., either)
    EA words
    Common words with Y at the end (e.g., friendly, baby)

Appendix I: Special Categories

1. Simple, common -tion words
2. Simple, common words beginning with a as a schwa (e.g., away)
3. Common words with wa (eg., want)
4. CH pronounced /k/: Common words and extensive list
5. GN with silent G (e.g., sign) - common words and extensive list
6. -ATE pronounced "it": Common words and extensive list (e.g., separate, private)
7. -AGE pronounced "oj": Common words and extensive list (e.g., garage, corsage)
8. ER pronounced "air": Common words and extensive list (e.g., error, sheriff)
9. -ANGE words
10. -ASTE words
11. I pronounced E
    A. In the middle of a word
    B. -ious words (e.g., obvious)
    C. At the end of a word (e.g. ski, taxi)
    D. -INE words (e.g. gasoline)
12. -EAU (e.g., bureau, Juneau)

Appendix II: Teacher's NOtes

Appendix III: More special Categories

1. Common words ending in -ity (e.g. density, locality, ability)
2. Words ending in -ive
3. Words ending in -ous (basic list and comprehensive list)
4. Words in which c stands for the /s/ sound (before e, i, y)
5. GE words
   basic list
   vowel-g-e (e.g., page, huge)
   -DGE (e.g. badge, edge)
   Consonant-G-E (e.g. bilge, hinge)
   -RGE (e.g. large, urge)
   GE in the middle of a word
   -GE at the end of a word with long vowel sound
   -GE at the end of a word with various vowel sounds
   -/zh/ sound (e.g., beige)
   -AGE (/ij/) at the end of a word (e.g, image, village)
   
6. GE, GI and GY words where g stands for the /g/ sound (e.g., together, gift, muggy)
   
7. -GI- words where g stands for /j/ sound
   General list
   -ologist words (names of people who study things)
   -ological words
   
8. GY words
   General list (e.g., allergy, Egypt)
   -logy words (apology, zoology)
9. -ANGE words
10. -ASTE words
11. I pronounced E
    A. In the middle of a word
    B. -ious words (e.g., obvious)
    C. At the end of a word (e.g. ski, taxi)
    D. -INE words (e.g. gasoline)
12. -EAU (e.g., bureau, Juneau)