Open Syllable O (Long O)
When O is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the O says its name “oh” — like in 'go' and 'no'.
How this rule works
This is the open-syllable pattern: a syllable that ends in a vowel leaves it 'open', so it says its long name. Here, a lone O at the end of a syllable says “oh” (go, no, so, o-pen). The O also says its long name in the 'old' and 'ost' families (cold, most). The long O sound is also spelled other ways, each its own rule — silent E (home) or vowel teams (oa in boat, ow in snow) — but those are not open syllables.
Remember: Long O says its name — O!
Examples
Words that use this rule
175 words in the SnapPhonics dictionary use this rule. Tap any word to see how it breaks into sounds.
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