Final answer:
The word "say" demonstrates a vowel digraph, where the vowel team 'ay' produces a long 'a' sound. Therefore, the correct option describing the rule applied to "say" is B. Vowel digraph.
Step-by-step explanation:
The word "say" illustrates a specific rule from the vowel team chart. When considering the options provided, the correct answer is B. Vowel digraph. A vowel digraph is when two vowels are together in a syllable and represent one sound. In "say," the vowel team is 'ay,' which makes the long 'a' sound, as heard in the pronunciation of the word. This differs from a silent 'e' scenario, where the 'e' at the end of the word would make the preceding vowel long but remains silent in pronunciation.
For instance, in "cake" and "fame," we have a silent 'e' at the end, making the 'a' long. The word "say" is an example of a vowel digraph since the 'a' and 'y' together create the long 'a' sound, but 'y' is not silent—it contributes to the pronunciation. This contrasts with short vowel sounds as in "jam" and "math," where the vowel sound corresponds to the vowel's name, and the vowel is followed immediately by a consonant.
R-controlled vowels pertain to words where a vowel followed by 'r' produces a specific sound, such as in "car" or "stir," and this does not apply to "say." Therefore, the correct option for the rule applied to the word "say" is B. Vowel digraph.