What term describes the written or spoken vowel and the final consonant(s) in a syllable?

The term that describes the written or spoken vowel and the final consonant(s) in a syllable is known as the rime. In the context of phonetics and linguistics, the rime consists of the nucleus (typically the vowel sound) and the coda (the consonants that follow the vowel within the same syllable). Understanding the rime is essential in various aspects of language education, particularly in teaching reading and spelling, as it helps learners focus on the patterns and structures within words.

The distinction between rime and the other terms in the question is crucial. Rhyme typically refers to a broader literary device where the ending sounds of words match in poetry or prose, which is not limited to the structure of a syllable. A root is the base part of a word without any prefixes or suffixes, which does not specifically relate to the components of a syllable. Syllable itself is a structural unit of speech, but it does not specifically focus on the vowel and final consonants collectively as rime does. Thus, the identification of rime is key in analyzing the composition of syllables, aiding educators and learners in grasping sound patterns in language.