magic e

magic e (plural magic es or magic e's)

1. (education) A silent e (in certain English words, such as cake and time) that appears to change the pronunciation of the preceding vowel.
   • 2011, Susan M. Greve, Phonics for Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 114:

     Write the following words in a column on a printing tablet or whiteboard: fat, mat, rat, cap, pan, hid, at, and us. Ask your child to wave his magic wand, add an e with his pencil, and see the new words he makes as he adds the magic e.

• Used in introducing the concept to children who are learning to read.

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