A closed syllable is a type of syllable that contains one vowel followed by one or more consonants, which "closes in" the vowel and makes it a short sound. This pattern is often referred to as the CVC pattern (consonant – vowel – consonant), although a closed syllable does not always begin with a consonant. Closed syllables can contain 2 to 7 letters, and they can include digraphs, trigraphs, and blends. Closed syllables are one of six consistent spelling patterns of the English language. Examples of words that follow this pattern include "at," "in," "dog," "fun," "peck," "twin," and "scratch". Closed syllables are important to teach because they are a fundamental building block of reading and spelling.