Mississippi Foundations of Reading Practice Test

Which type of syllable pattern is exemplified by the word "rabbit"?

1. Open syllable

2. Closed syllable

3. Vowel digraph

4. Compound word

The correct answer is: Closed syllable

The word "rabbit" exemplifies a closed syllable pattern. A closed syllable is characterized by a vowel followed by one or more consonants, where the vowel sound is typically short. In the case of "rabbit," the first syllable "rab" ends with a consonant (the letter 'b'), which means that the vowel 'a' is "closed in" by that consonant, resulting in a short vowel sound. This is a key feature of closed syllables. In contrast, an open syllable would have a vowel at the end without a following consonant, resulting in a long vowel sound, which does not apply here. A vowel digraph involves two vowels together making one sound (as in "team"), which is also not related to "rabbit." Finally, a compound word consists of two or more words combined together (like "toothbrush"), which does not fit the structure of "rabbit." Thus, the correct answer is based on the closed syllable rule evident in the composition of the word.