What is National Silent E Day? Five jobs of one quiet letter

National Silent E Day falls on September 29 and celebrates the letter e at the end of words, the one we write but do not say. The National Day Calendar approved it in 2025, and this year's observance is described on the official site as its first. It was founded by Stacey Roselli, a structured literacy specialist and reading interventionist, to highlight the basic reading and spelling skills that help people of every age read with confidence.

The National Day Calendar lists five jobs this letter does. It turns a short vowel into a long one, so cap becomes cape and hop becomes hope. It keeps words from ending in v, which is why we write have and give. It softens a c or g, as in peace. It helps show when an s belongs to the base word instead of making a plural. And it gives a syllable the written vowel every syllable needs.

For children learning to read, the first job is the one they meet most often, and it can feel a little like a magic trick. Write a short word such as kit, cub, tap or not, then add an e and read the new word together. Kite, cube, tape and note make the change easy to hear.

The official site, nationalsilenteday.com, offers free games built by educators, including a Silent E Scavenger Hunt, Silent E Bingo and Silent E Charades, along with printables for schools and families.

Tonight, write three short words on a sticky note, add an e to each, and let a young reader say the new words out loud.