How to Teach VCV Syllable Division (When to Split Before or After the Vowel)

VCV words can make syllable division feel confusing. I always (jokingly) say, if you can master VCV syllable division, you can understand any structured literacy concept and rule!

With VCV words, we don’t divide first and hope it sounds right, we divide and listen, then decide if the first syllable is open or closed based on pronunciation. It’s not as easy as VCCV syllable division, where we just divide between the two Cs, label, and pronounce.

Let’s explore VCV syllable division deeper.

What Makes VCV Words Different

VCV stands for vowel–consonant–vowel. In VCV, there’s only one consonant between vowels, so we can’t automatically know where to divide.

In contrast to VCCV (vowel-consonant-consonant-vowel) words, there isn’t one place to divide. That’s why VCV words need to be tested, not memorized.

The correct division depends on if the word “sounds right,” and whether the first vowel ends up long or short.

We determine the long or short vowel with our VCV patterns. The patterns are commonly called Tiger and Camel words in many OG-based programs, but the underlying principle is open vs closed first syllable.

VCV Division Patterns

In VCV words, there are not as many sub-patterns as in other syllable division types. In VCCV, we had four sub-patterns of Rabbit, Reptile, Candy, and Hornet. In VCV, we have two – Tiger and Camel words.

Open or Closed First Syllable

Around 60% of VCV words are Open syllable, or Tiger words, and about 40% are Closed syllable, or Camel words. Because of this, students are often taught to divide after the first vowel first. Then they ask: Is that a word I’ve heard?

If it doesn’t sound familiar, they divide after the consonant and ask again: Is that a word I’ve heard?

This testing process helps us determine whether the word follows the pattern of ti/ger or cam/el.

VCV Pattern is covered in Scope & Sequence Workbook 2. Get the full scope and sequence so you know what to teach and when, along with activities and guidance to use in your lessons.

Steps to dividing a VCV word

These are the steps to dividing a VCV Word

Step 1: Underline the vowels or vowel sounds
Step 2: Code the word using VCV, starting with the first vowel
Step 3: Divide after the first vowel and pronounce the word. If this does not sound like a word you know, divide after the consonant, and pronounce the word again.
Step 4: Label each syllable according to REVLOC
Step 5: Read the syllables slowly, read the whole word
Step 6: Accent the word (optional, but good to do)

Open First Syllable aka Tiger Words (V/CV)

• The word divides after the first vowel
• The first syllable is open
• The first vowel is long
• The accent is usually on the first syllable

Examples:

• ti’ger
• ra’ven
• po’ny
• tu’lip

Closed First Syllable aka Camel Words (VC/V)

• The word divides after the consonant
• The first syllable is closed
• The first vowel is short
• The accent is usually on the first syllable

Examples:

• lem’on
• cam’el
• den’im
• lin’en

Why We Have to Test VCV Words

With VCV words, there isn’t a single rule that works every time. The goal is correct pronunciation, not perfect rule-following. That’s why we test the word.

Take the word relish.

Is it:

1. re–lish (open first syllable, long vowel), or
2. rel–ish (closed first syllable, short vowel)?

To figure it out, we:

1. Underline the vowels (VCV pattern)
2. Check for schwa (none here)
3. Say the word naturally
4. Listen for the accent

We’ve heard rel–ish, not re–lish.
So the correct division is rel’ish.

These words can be challenging because students often need to have heard them before. That’s normal. VCV syllable division relies on testing and listening, not just applying a rigid rule.

When To Teach VCV Syllable Division Patterns

Tiger words are taught first. We teach students to label and divide after that first vowel to form an open syllable, as in ti/ger. The second syllable can be any syllable type.

We can begin introducing the idea of “testing the word” at this stage, but only if the student’s vocabulary is strong enough to hear the difference. For example: ti/ger or tig/er. The student says, “ti/ger! I know that word.” That recognition is what guides the division.

Camel words come later in the scope and sequence for a reason. By the time we introduce them, students have already worked with Consonant + LE words, practiced adding suffixes, and, maybe most importantly, built vocabulary.

And that vocabulary matters.

Testing a VCV word only works if a student can say, “Oh! I’ve heard that word before.” So we make sure that foundation is in place before asking students to make those decisions between ti/ger and cam/el.

Accenting is Helpful

Accenting matters in VCV words because it can help decide how to pronounce the word.

A few important things to remember:

• The accent never falls on a schwa.
  If a syllable has a schwa sound (that weak “uh” sound), it is not accented.
• A helpful trick is to say the word like you’re calling a dog.
  The syllable you stretch or emphasize is usually the accented one.

For example, when saying camel like you are “calling the dog,” you naturally say cam–el, not ca–mel.

The first syllable is stronger and longer (and that e in the second syllable is a schwa too!), so the accent goes on the first syllable, and the word is cam/el (closed/closed).

Practice Dividing These VCV Words

Open First Syllable (Tiger Words)

• nylon = ny’lon
• tulip = tu’lip
• pony = po’ny
• raven = ra’ven (hear that schwa in the second syllable?)

Closed First Syllable (Camel Words)

(Lots of schwa in these words!)

• lemon = lem’on
• linen = lin’en
• comet = com’et
• denim = den’im

Encourage students to divide after the first vowel and pronounce the word, if that doesn’t sound familiar, divide after the consonant and pronounce again, then divide. If the word sounds right, the division is doing its job.

A Final Word

VCV words do not follow a firm formula, and that can create confusion when learning or teaching this pattern. That is why VCV syllable division appears later in the scope and sequence, and why Camel words are introduced after Tiger words.

We build a foundation first. Then, as vocabulary grows and instruction becomes more cumulative, we refine the testing process.

The most important goal is this: if a student can divide the word in a way that leads to correct pronunciation, there is success. Listening, testing, and adjusting are part of the process. The end goal is pronunciation and retention.