Can a 2-syllable word have two open syllables? Essentially, can the final syllable of a 2+ syllable word be open? I know that an open syllable is one where it ends with a long vowel sound and does not have a consonant to "close" it in. However, I have not been able to find out whether a final syllable that ends in "y" in a multisyllabic word (which would obviously make a long vowel sound) is open or closed. For example, the word "trophy"...are both syllables open, or is the second syllable closed because it technically ends in a consonant (even though the "y" is acting as a vowel)?
1 Answer
Yes, a two-syllable word can have two open syllables. “Retry” is an example. It doesn’t make sense to consider the letter Y to be a “consonant” in any way in contexts like this.
