What is a closed syllable exception?

A closed syllable exception occurs when a closed syllable does not follow the typical rules of pronunciation. In a closed syllable, a vowel is followed by a consonant, which usually results in the vowel being short (e.g. "cat", "hop"). However, in some cases, a closed syllable may contain a long vowel sound.

One common closed syllable exception occurs when the syllable ends with a vowel-consonant-e (VCe) pattern. In this case, the final "e" makes the vowel long rather than short. Examples of words with closed syllable exceptions include "time", "cube", and "bike".

Other closed syllable exceptions can include irregular words that do not follow the typical patterns of pronunciation, such as "stair" (where "ai" makes a long vowel sound) and "friend" (where "ie" makes a short vowel sound).

Overall, closed syllable exceptions provide additional complexity to the English language and can be challenging for learners to understand and master.