Eending

E-ending is a term used in linguistics and orthography to describe words that end with the vowel e. In many languages, the final -e is a common orthographic element that can be silent in pronunciation yet carries historical and morphological significance. It is particularly prominent in English, where the final e is often not spoken but is retained in spelling.

In English, the final e has several functions. The best-known is the “magic e” phenomenon, where adding a final e after a single vowel often changes how that vowel sounds: cap becomes cape, bit becomes bite, sit becomes site. The final e also helps preserve stem integrity when forming related forms or derivatives, such as move versus moved or name versus named. Historically, final e was frequently pronounced in older stages of English, but in modern pronunciation it is typically silent, while the spelling remains.

In addition, the ending -e can signal the word’s origin or relation to related forms. Many English words borrowed from French or Latin retain a final e, which serves as a cue to etymology and can influence pronunciation patterns in related words and in learner instruction. The exact phonetic effect of the final e varies by word and origin.

There are important caveats. Not all words that end with -e follow the same rule, and regional pronunciation, dialect differences, or specific loanwords can lead to pronunciation or functional exceptions. The concept of an e-ending is thus best understood as part of spelling history and orthographic conventions rather than a single, uniform phonological rule.

In summary, the e-ending describes the final -e in words, a feature central to English spelling that signals vowel length in some cases, reflects historical pronunciation, and preserves etymological information across word families.