LumiraWhat is a syllable pattern?
Syllable patterns tell a reader where to break a longer word so it can be decoded in chunks. They are the bridge between reading short words and reading multisyllabic ones.
The -le syllable — word list
Every word below appears in the decodable book on this page, so a reader who practises the list will meet the same words again in context.
- apple
- candle
- little
- purple
- sprinkle
- table
- turtle
- uncle
Free decodable book: Decodable Syllable LE
This is an original Lumira decodable reader, written so that a child can sound out nearly every word using patterns they have already been taught. The full text is below — read it here, or open it in the app to read it together with the words highlighting as you speak.
Mia had a little turtle. Leo had a little turtle too.
Leo had an apple. Mia had an apple too. Mia and Leo had the apple on the table.
Mia and Leo saw a purple candle. The candle is on the table.
Leo has an uncle. Mia has an uncle too. Mia and Leo like their uncle.
Mia and Leo had a sprinkle on top. It was a little sprinkle.
Little turtle purple apple table uncle candle sprinkle. Mia and Leo like them all.
How to teach it
- Say the sound on its own first, several times, before showing any letters.
- Show the spelling and name it explicitly — tell the reader what it says rather than asking them to work it out.
- Blend two or three words from the list together, out loud, slowly.
- Read the decodable book above, where the pattern repeats in real sentences.
- Come back to it two or three days later. Cumulative review is what makes it stick.
Lessons that practise this pattern
Final stable syllable -le (little, turtle)
Read words ending in a consonant + stable -le syllable