Switch between cap/cape and tap/tape, show or hide final e, and label the vowel, consonant, and final-e positions. The supplied US-English pronunciation key remains a teacher reference. It never records a learner’s speech or turns a written match into an oral-reading score.
Model two reviewed word pairs
Reading Universe's magic-e overview describes the vowel-consonant-e pattern and explicitly lists exceptions, including have. Compare the two a-vowel pairs below, then use have to discuss the exception.
Use this US-English practice key:
| Pair ID | Without final e | With final e | Medial vowel change |
|---|---|---|---|
| ME1 | cap /kæp/ | cape /keɪp/ | Short a /æ/ → long a /eɪ/ |
| ME2 | tap /tæp/ | tape /teɪp/ | Short a /æ/ → long a /eɪ/ |
In ME1, the first consonant sound /k/ and final consonant sound /p/ remain. In ME2, /t/ and /p/ remain. The written word gains e, while the medial vowel changes in the supplied pronunciation. The final e is not an extra spoken vowel or syllable in these examples.
Have the teacher model each pair, then ask the learner to explain which sound changed. Leave actual oral-reading observations blank until that reading occurs; selecting a displayed key cannot establish how a learner pronounced the word.
Mark written positions separately from sounds
For cape, the relevant written slots are vowel a, consonant p, final e. For tape, they are also a, p, e. The first letters c and t precede the VCe pattern.
| Word | Written pattern for this activity | Letters | Spoken syllables in the key |
|---|---|---|---|
| cap | CVC | 3 | 1 |
| cape | CVCe | 4 | 1 |
| tap | CVC | 3 | 1 |
| tape | CVCe | 4 | 1 |
Letter count is not a sound or syllable count. In the paired key, cape has four letters but the spoken sequence is /k/, /eɪ/, /p/. The two IPA symbols in /eɪ/ show a diphthong, not two separately spoken syllables.
Use a student stem: “The written word adds ___. The medial vowel changes from ___ to ___. The first and last consonant sounds stay ___. Final e adds / does not add a spoken syllable.”
The teacher reviews the explanation and listening evidence. Do not turn a correctly labeled written pattern into an automatic oral-reading score.
Keep have on an exception card
In this practice, have is pronounced /hæv/, not /heɪv/. Its final e is silent, but it does not make the medial a take cape's long-a sound. The exception is part of the instruction rather than a surprise marked wrong after teaching “every final e does this.”
Ask, “Does this reviewed word support the same vowel prediction as cap/cape?” The key says no. The teacher supplies the word's pronunciation and discusses the mismatch. Do not invent an arbitrary final-e word or guess its sound from the ending alone.
Keep the activity bounded to the two reviewed pairs and this exception. New pairs require a teacher-reviewed spelling and pronunciation key before they are added.
Use the written check during a reading conversation
Begin with cap and ask the learner to name its middle vowel and following consonant. Reveal final e, read cape aloud, and compare the two pronunciations. Repeat with tap and tape so the learner can describe the same written change in a second pair.
Keep any oral-reading notes in your own teaching materials. The page has written answer fields and a pronunciation reveal, but it does not provide a separate observation sheet or assess speech.
Compare the two display states
Choose a pair, then Show final e. With e visible, enter a/p/e for the written pattern. With e hidden, enter a/p/absent. Check distinguishes a deliberately absent e from an unanswered field. Pair changes and e-state changes clear old written responses and feedback; Reset restores cap with final e hidden.
Use the pronunciation reveal as a model while listening to actual reading separately. Record what you heard in your own teaching notes, including any support you supplied.
Copy a prompt for this example
Create a single self-contained HTML magic-e activity with embedded CSS and JavaScript. Use a large word display, pair-selection buttons, a Show final e toggle, written answer fields, and a separate pronunciation reveal. Include a permanently visible have exception note.
Use ME1 cap /kæp/ and cape /keɪp/, and ME2 tap /tæp/ and tape /teɪp/. Start with cap and final e hidden. The base words have three letters and one spoken syllable; the e-added words have four letters and one spoken syllable. Explain that the middle vowel changes from /æ/ to /eɪ/ while the first and last consonant sounds remain.
Ask for the written vowel, following consonant, final-e state, and an explanation. Both pairs use a and p. When e is visible, the final slot is e; when hidden, it is absent. Treat absent as an explicit answer, distinct from a blank field.
Require all three written slots and a nonblank explanation before Check. Count the correct slots out of three and leave explanation and oral reading for teacher review. Reveal the selected word's supplied pronunciation without recording speech.
Pair changes restore the base word and clear responses. Toggling e clears previous responses and feedback. Reset restores cap with e hidden. Show have /hæv/ as an exception to the vowel prediction. Use readable, responsive styling and return only the complete HTML file.
For a paired-word demonstration, NOS can display this prepared HTML pattern view. Toggle cap to cape, ask which sound changed, and finish with have before recording actual oral-reading observations in the teacher’s own materials.