Silent EAn e on the end says nothing, but makes the vowel before it say its name.2nd GradeAn e on the end says nothing itself, but it reachesback over one consonant and makes the vowel sayits name.hat → hatehat → hatea becomes longThe e is silent but it changed the whole word.kit → kitei becomes longSame trick, different vowel.hop → hopeo becomes longOne letter, completely different word.cub → cubeu becomes longThe e never makes a sound of its own.THE COMMON MISTAKE✗ hoping for a hop✓ hopping for a hopAdding -ing to hope drops the e; adding it to hop doubles the p.Also called magic e or bossy e. It works over exactly one consonant, nomore.Silent Elearnposters.com
Silent E — printable literacy wall chart from LearnPosters. Free vector PDF, US Letter and A4.

What’s on the Silent E poster

The rule, 4 worked examples, and the mistake everyone makes.

Also called magic e or bossy e. It works over exactly one consonant, no more.

Questions about the Silent E poster

What’s on the Silent E poster?
The rule, 4 worked examples, and the mistake everyone makes. An e on the end says nothing itself, but it reaches back over one consonant and makes…; hat → hate; hat → hate = a becomes long; kit → kite = i becomes long; hop → hope = o becomes long; cub → cube = u becomes long; Common mistake: hoping for a hop → hopping for a hop. Also called magic e or bossy e. It works over exactly one consonant, no more.
Who is the Silent E poster for?
Silent E is filed under 2nd Grade (ages 7–8), so it matches what that year asks a child to remember. It is equally useful to an older student revisiting literacy, and to the parent or teacher answering the question at the kitchen table.
When should you use the Silent E poster?
Point at the rule before they write, not after you mark it. A wall chart earns its place by being glanceable from where the work is happening, so Silent E belongs on the wall where that literacy work actually happens, within glancing distance, rather than filed away.
What other posters go with Silent E?
Compound Words, Contractions and Making Plurals sit alongside Silent E in the 2nd Grade set. Printed together they make a wall rather than a single sheet, which is how a reference set actually gets used.Compound WordsContractionsMaking Plurals
Is the Silent E poster free to download and print?
Yes. Silent E downloads as a free PDF with no account, no email and no watermark, like everything else in the 2nd Grade set. Print as many copies as you like for a home, a classroom, a library or a tutoring group; reselling the file is the only thing the licence rules out.Read the licence
What size does the Silent E poster print at?
Silent E is a vector PDF laid out for US Letter, and prints on A4 with Fit to page — the same file, no separate download. Because every mark on it is drawn rather than photographed, it stays sharp enlarged to A3, A2 or A1 at a copy shop. Colour carries emphasis only, so a greyscale print of Silent E loses nothing.Printing guide

Related posters

Charts that sit alongside Silent E on the same wall.

Browse every 2nd Grade poster, or start from the full catalogue.