Video narration
Why does cap change when a quiet e joins the end? Look, the e puts a finger to its lips: shh. It is there, but you don't say it. Sound out cap: c, a, p-cap. The a has its short sound. Now add e: cape. The e stays quiet, and a changes. It says its name: A. You hear cape, not cap-e. The final e isn't there to add its own sound. It helps the vowel before the last consonant say its name. Try kit, then kite. The e is quiet; i changes and says its name. Hop becomes hope: e stays quiet, and o says its name. Cut becomes cute: e stays silent, while u says its name. This is a helpful pattern in these words, not every word ending in e. So why does cap become cape? E stays quiet, but helps a say its name: cape.