Magic e exceptions — a free one-page list for the fridge
Within a week of learning magic e, a child will read have as “hayve” and stall on give. That is not a mistake in their learning — it is the rule working exactly as taught on words that do not follow it. English has a few dozen of these, and almost all of them fall into a handful of small groups.
This sheet lists the common ones, grouped, with a sentence you can say to your child for each group. The eight at the top are the ones to put where they will be seen every day.
One page, Letter or A4. Choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog to keep a copy.
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Magic E Exceptions
Words that look like magic e and are not. Teach them as tricky words — after the magic e rule itself is secure.
The eight to know first
- have
- give
- live
- love
- come
- some
- done
- none
The groups
| Group | Words | What to tell your child |
|---|---|---|
| The v words | Words: have, give, live, love, glove, shove, dove, above | What to tell your child: English words do not end in a plain v, so they get a silent e. It is a different kind of silent e — it does not change the vowel. |
| o–e that says /u/ | Words: come, some, done, none | What to tell your child: Old spellings that never changed. A small set to remember together. |
| Other look-alikes | Words: are, were, there, where, one, gone | What to tell your child: Very common words with a silent e that does no magic. Teach each as a tricky word. |
| Words ending in -le | Words: table, apple, little, simple, gentle | What to tell your child: Not magic e at all. The -le is its own ending, taught separately a few weeks later. |
These still follow the rule: face, place, race, space, nice, mice, rice, ice. The e makes the vowel long and makes the c say /s/. They only feel like exceptions because a child expects /k/.
When to teach them: once magic e words are being read fluently, not in the same week as the rule. When your child asks why have does not work, the honest answer is enough: it looks like a magic e word, it is not one, and we just remember it.
How to use the sheet
Wait until the rule is solid. If the rule and its exceptions arrive in the same week, the exceptions undermine the rule. Fluent magic e first; this sheet second.
Teach by group, not by word. Have, give, live, love as “the v words” is one idea to hold. Eight separate inexplicable failures is eight.
Start with the top row only. Those eight cover most of what a new reader will trip over. The rest settle in through reading, once the idea that such words exist is familiar.
Say there are two kinds of silent e. One reaches back and changes the vowel. The other is just there because the word needed it. That keeps the rule clean instead of broken.
Why these words are exceptions
The history behind each group — why English will not end a word in v, and where come and some got their spelling — is in When magic e doesn't work — the common exceptions every parent should know. For teaching the rule itself, see How to teach magic e to a child who doesn't get it.
What to print next
- The Magic E Pack — 20 pages: the bridge-method lessons, word lists for all five patterns, and decodable sentences
- Long Vowels Reference Sheet — magic e next to the other spellings of each long vowel
- Sight Words Starter List — the other tricky words a beginner needs
Common questions
Is live an exception or not?
Both. As a verb — I live here — the i is short and it is an exception. As in a live show, it follows the rule. Teach the verb first; it is far more common in early books.
How many exceptions are there altogether?
A few dozen common ones. You do not need to teach them all — once a child knows the groups exist, the rest arrive through reading.
Is the sheet free to print?
Yes — for home, classroom, and tutoring use.
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