Oregon Educator Licensure Assessments (ORELA) Practice Exam

Which word pattern includes "loan" as an example?

1. Open

2. R-controlled

3. Vowel-consonant-silent e

4. Consonant -le

The correct answer is: Vowel-consonant-silent e

The correct classification for the word "loan" is under the vowel-consonant-silent e pattern. In this pattern, there is a vowel followed by a consonant and then a silent "e" at the end of the word. This structure typically results in the first vowel being long, meaning it sounds like the name of the vowel itself. In the case of "loan," the "o" is the vowel, and it is followed by the consonant "a," which leads to a long "o" sound. The silent "e" at the end does not affect the pronunciation of the "o" but serves to signal that the preceding vowel is long. Therefore, this word fits perfectly within this vowel-consonant-silent e framework, demonstrating the rule of vowel pronunciation in such constructions. Other patterns do not apply here; for instance, an open syllable typically ends with a vowel that is pronounced as a long vowel, but "loan" does not adhere to that structure since it ends with a consonant. The r-controlled pattern requires a vowel followed by an "r" that influences its sound, which "loan" does not have. Lastly, the consonant-le pattern pertains to words that end in a conson