Magic e: a_e
The e at the end is silent, and it makes the first vowel say its name.
What this skill is
The silent e pattern: cake, lake, make, take, bake. The e itself makes no sound and instead changes the vowel before it, which is why contrasting pairs like tap and tape are the whole lesson.
Three ways to teach it at home
- Write the short word, then add the e and read both. tap → tape. Do five pairs in a row so the pattern is unmissable.
- Say the rule once, plainly: the e is silent and it makes the vowel say its name. Then use it, do not re-explain it.
- The error to watch for is pronouncing the e. Model the correction and have them read the word again before moving on.
The full word list
Every word here uses only spellings taught at or before this rung, so nothing needs guessing. Print it, or read it down the column together.
cake · lake · make · take · bake · rake · game · name · same · came · cane · lane · plane · date · gate · late · plate · wave · save · cave · tape · cape · grape · shape · snake · shade · trade · brave · tap · cap · mad · made · can · hat · hate · plan · at · ate · rat · rate
Where this sits in the ladder
Comes after
Opens next
Questions people actually ask
What grade is "magic e: a_e"?
It sits in grade 1 in most sequences, and it is aligned to RF.1.3c. In Ladderbug it opens once ending blends is solid — grade labels are a rough guide, and readiness is what actually matters.
Is this game free?
Yes. This page needs no account, no email and no card, and there are no advertisements. It saves progress in your own browser.
What mistakes should I watch for?
Pronounces the final e. We probe for it deliberately by offering that exact wrong answer as a choice, and if a child picks it twice we go back to magic e: a_e rather than repeating the same question.
This is one rung of 82.
Open the whole ladder — free