CVC Word Lists by Short Vowel
Free printable CVC word lists for short a, e, i, o, and u, sorted by word family. Print a list, a reading checklist, or word cards, or download a PDF.
CVC words are three-letter words spelled consonant, vowel, consonant, like cat, bed, pig, dog, and sun, where the vowel makes its short sound. This page lists 177 common CVC words grouped by short vowel and word family (-at, -en, -ig, -op, -ug), so you can print only the list you are teaching, as a list, a reading checklist, or word cards.
Want trace-and-write practice? Copy the words, open the CVC Words Worksheet Generator, pick your own list, and paste. A sheet uses up to 15 words, so copy a short list or pick the words you need.
Open the generatorCVC Words: All Short Vowels
177 words
Short a
-ab (5)
- cab
- dab
- jab
- lab
- tab
-ad (7)
- bad
- dad
- had
- lad
- mad
- pad
- sad
-ag (7)
- bag
- lag
- nag
- rag
- sag
- tag
- wag
-am (5)
- dam
- ham
- jam
- ram
- yam
-an (7)
- can
- fan
- man
- pan
- ran
- tan
- van
-ap (9)
- cap
- gap
- lap
- map
- nap
- rap
- sap
- tap
- zap
-at (9)
- bat
- cat
- fat
- hat
- mat
- pat
- rat
- sat
- vat
-ax (2)
- tax
- wax
More short a words (2)
- gas
- pal
Short e
-ed (5)
- bed
- fed
- led
- red
- wed
-eg (3)
- beg
- leg
- peg
-en (5)
- den
- hen
- men
- pen
- ten
-et (10)
- get
- jet
- let
- met
- net
- pet
- set
- vet
- wet
- yet
More short e words (2)
- web
- yes
Short i
-ib (3)
- bib
- fib
- rib
-id (6)
- bid
- did
- hid
- kid
- lid
- rid
-ig (7)
- big
- dig
- fig
- jig
- pig
- rig
- wig
-im (3)
- dim
- him
- rim
-in (5)
- bin
- fin
- pin
- tin
- win
-ip (8)
- dip
- hip
- lip
- nip
- rip
- sip
- tip
- zip
-it (7)
- bit
- fit
- hit
- kit
- lit
- pit
- sit
-ix (3)
- fix
- mix
- six
Short o
-ob (5)
- cob
- job
- mob
- rob
- sob
-od (4)
- cod
- nod
- pod
- rod
-og (5)
- dog
- fog
- hog
- jog
- log
-op (5)
- cop
- hop
- mop
- pop
- top
-ot (8)
- cot
- dot
- got
- hot
- lot
- not
- pot
- rot
-ox (2)
- box
- fox
Short u
-ub (5)
- cub
- hub
- rub
- sub
- tub
-ud (2)
- bud
- mud
-ug (7)
- bug
- dug
- hug
- jug
- mug
- rug
- tug
-um (3)
- gum
- hum
- sum
-un (4)
- bun
- fun
- run
- sun
-up (2)
- cup
- pup
-ut (4)
- but
- cut
- hut
- nut
More short u words (1)
- bus
How to use the cvc word lists by short vowel
- 1Pick a short vowel, or keep All short vowels to see every list on one page.
- 2Choose the order (by word family or A–Z) and what to print: a word list, a reading checklist with three date columns, or cut-apart word cards.
- 3Print the page or download the PDF. To make trace-and-write practice, copy the words into the CVC Words Worksheet Generator.
When this is useful
Planning a short-vowel unit
See every CVC word for the vowel you are teaching, already grouped by family, before you pick the week's words.
Checking a child's decoding
Print the reading checklist and mark which words a student reads correctly on three different days.
Word cards for centers
Print word cards for one vowel, cut them apart, and use them for sorting, reading, or building words.
Word family practice
Read down one family, like -at or -ug, so students hear that only the first sound changes.
Home reading lists
Send a one-page list home so families can practice the same words the class is reading.
Examples to try
Short a word families
Short a in family order: -ab, -ad, -ag, -am, -an, -ap, -at, -ax, then the words whose ending has no other CVC word here.
A short i reading checklist
Short i as a two-column checklist with three date boxes per word, for quick one-on-one checks.
Mixed-vowel word cards
All short vowels as word cards, twelve to a page, each labeled with its vowel and family for sorting.
Tips for better results
Teach one family at a time
Start with a family that has many words, like -at or -ot, then mix families once students blend easily.
Point out words ending in x
In box, fox, six, and wax the x stands for two sounds, /k/ and /s/, so it's worth a quick mention.
Use the A–Z order for spelling
Family order builds rhyme; A–Z order mixes the endings, so students have to read every word from the start.
Keep the checklist over time
Use the three date columns for the same list across a few weeks to show a child's progress.
How the cvc word lists by short vowel works
The page holds 177 CVC words, each with one short vowel in the middle and a consonant on each side. They are grouped by vowel, then by word family, the shared ending such as -at or -ug. When a word's ending has no other common CVC word here (gas, pal, web, yes, bus), it goes in a short “More short … words” group at the end of its vowel, so every word appears once.
The words are an original, hand-picked selection of common, decodable words that are comfortable to read aloud in class. Proper nouns, abbreviations, rare words, and slang are left out, and so are words where the last letter changes the vowel sound (car, cow, saw, day) or the first letter is a soft c or g (gem). It isn't a copy of any official or published list.
Choose a vowel, an order, and a print format. The preview shows exactly what prints, and the PDF is built on your device with the same layout: a word list in four columns, a two-table reading checklist, or cut-apart word cards with the vowel and family in small print.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a CVC word?
A CVC word has three letters: a consonant, a short vowel, then another consonant, like cat, hen, pig, mop, and bug. Each letter stands for one sound, so children can sound the word out and blend it. That's why CVC words usually come first in phonics.
How many CVC words are on this page?
177 words across the five short vowels. Short a has the most, because English has many common short a CVC words; short e has the fewest.
Which short vowel should I teach first?
Many phonics programs start with short a, because words like cat, map, and sad are common and easy to picture, then add the other vowels one at a time. There's no single required order, so follow your own program's sequence.
Are box, fox, and six CVC words?
They are spelled consonant-vowel-consonant and appear in most early CVC lists, so they're included. The x spells two sounds, /k/ and /s/, so it helps to point that out when students meet them.
Why aren't car, cow, or saw on the list?
In those words the last letter changes the vowel sound: the r in car makes an r-controlled vowel, and w or y team up with the vowel in words like cow, saw, and day. They aren't short-vowel words, so they're left out.
How is this different from the CVC Words Worksheet Generator?
This page is the reference list: every word, grouped, ready to print as a list, checklist, or word cards. The CVC Words Worksheet Generator makes practice sheets (read and write, trace, missing vowel, letter boxes). Copy words from here and paste them there as a custom list.
Is it free, and is anything uploaded?
It's free with no account. The lists and the PDF are built in your browser, and nothing you choose is sent anywhere.
Helpful supplies for this activity
Optional supplies that can make printed classroom materials easier to reuse, organize, or share.
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Magnetic letters
Build and spell words on a board or cookie sheet for hands-on practice.
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