A silent e at the end of a word that makes the vowel before it say its own name: cap becomes cape, pin becomes pine. Teachers call it magic e or silent e; the pattern is the same.

Why do the words come in pairs?

Pairs like kit/kite isolate the e's job perfectly: one letter changed, whole word transformed. It is the clearest phonics demonstration in English.

1st grade silent e (magic e)

1st grade silent e (magic e) worksheets

Silent e (the famous magic e) turns short vowels long: can/cane, kit/kite, hop/hope. First graders sort short-vowel words from their silent e partners and hear the vowel change with their own ears.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core RF.1.3.c.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of words you'll sort

Write each word from the bank in the correct column.

tubeslimkitetubtapnotcubeplane

Columns: short vowel and silent e. "tub" belongs under short vowel; "plane" belongs under silent e.

Every print pulls a new set of words at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a 1st grade sheet

1st grade sheets draw from 40 words, 10 to a page. 1st and 2nd grade print from the same 40 words. What changes is the standard (RF.1.3.c here) and the teaching notes below. 2nd grade sheets print 14 to a page.

Some of the words:

caphoprobhugmadhopepinetapenoteslime

Sorting. Write each word from the bank in the correct column. 10 words per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Read the pairs aloud together dramatically: rob... ROBE. cut... CUTE. Let your child announce what the e did each time. The rule teaches itself through the ears; the sort just writes it down.

Watch for: The e is not decoration. Kids who read 'hope' as 'hop' are ignoring the strongest letter on the page: a silent one that changed everything. Every word on this sheet has a partner (rid/ride, cub/cube). Reading the pair together is the fastest way to hear what the e does.

Common questions about 1st grade silent e (magic e)

What is magic e?: A silent e at the end of a word that makes the vowel before it say its own name: cap becomes cape, pin becomes pine. Teachers call it magic e or silent e; the pattern is the same.
Why do the words come in pairs?: Pairs like kit/kite isolate the e's job perfectly: one letter changed, whole word transformed. It is the clearest phonics demonstration in English.

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Aligned to Common Core RF.1.3.c. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated August 2026.

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