Which term describes a syllable that ends with a consonant?

• A. Open syllable
• B. Closed syllable
• C. Diphthong syllable
• D. Monosyllable

Answer: (B)

The main idea is how a syllable is classified by what comes at its end. A closed syllable ends with a consonant, which is why this term fits: the consonant “closes” the syllable after the vowel. For example, in a word like cat, the syllable ends with the consonant t, so it’s closed. This contrasts with an open syllable, which ends with a vowel sound, as in go or me, where the vowel tends to be long because the syllable isn’t closed by a consonant. The other terms describe different features—diphthong relates to a vowel sound that glides between two vowels, and monosyllable refers to the number of syllables in a word, not how a syllable ends.