CVC words, or consonant vowel consonant words, are normally the first words children learn to write and read. These short vowel words include 3 sounds, a beginning sound, a middle vowel sound, and an ending sound. Kindergarten and first grade teachers use CVC words often in reading and writing instruction. However, sometimes coming up with CVC words on the spot, or simple short vowel words on the spot can be tricky. That’s why I’ve compiled these handy lists of CVC and short vowel words by vowel sound.
Scroll to the end of the post to download the free printable lists from my free resource library for email subscribers.
How to Use the Lists
These lists can be used any time you need some easy to read or easy to build short vowel words. Print them out and keep them as a reference for small group. You can also use these lists to help build spelling lists, work on segmenting or building CVC words, or to practice mapping words based on sounds if you follow the science of reading in your classroom. You can also find these words in handy ready to print student friendly lists here.
Short Vowel CVC Word Family Lists
Below are consonant vowel consonant word lists. They’re grouped by vowel for easy use. First I’ve included CVC words with a single consonant, vowel, and then consonant. Although they’re not CVC words, I’ve also included some words that are short vowel words that still fall within the word families. Sometimes students are ready to add a digraph or blend to a CVC word, and it’s helpful to have some more complex words handy. I’ve also included names in the list which can be handy if you’re working on writing decodable passages or sentences.
Short a CVC Word Lists
at words
bat, cat, sat, hat, rat, mat, fat, pat, vat
flat, splat, that, brat, chat, gnat
ap words
cap, map, nap, lap, gap, rap, sap, tap, yap, zap
clap, flap, slap, snap, trap, wrap, strap
an words
ban, can, man, fan, pan, ran, van, tan, Dan
clan, plan, scan, span, than, bran
ad words
bad, dad, lad, had, mad, fad, pad, sad, rad, tad
clad, grad, glad
am words
bam, jam, ham, Pam, Sam, dam, jam, ram, yam
clam, cram, slam, gram, scam, scram, tram, wham, swam
ag words
bag, gag, lag, nap, rag, sag, tag, wag, zag
drag, flag, snag, swag
ax words
wax, tax, fax, lax, max
flax
ack words
back, hack, sack, lack, Jack, pack, rack, tack, Zack
black, crack, quack, snack, stack, track, smack, slack
ank words
bank, tank, rank, sank, yank, dank, Hank
plank, blank, prank, clank, thank, crank, flank, drank
and words
band, hand, land, sand
brand, bland, gland, grand, stand, strand
misc. short a CVC words
yak, gas, gal, pal
Short e CVC Word Lists
en words
hen, men, den, pen, ten, Ben, Jen
when, then
et words
bet, set, met, net, vet, let, jet, get, pet, yet, wet
fret, whet
ed words
bed, med, led, fed, Ned, red, wed
shed, bled, fled, sled, sped, shred, sled, pled, Fred
eg words
beg, peg, leg, keg, Meg
ell words
bell, sell, yell, cell, dell, fell, jell, tell, well, Nell
smell, spell, swell, quell, shell
eck words
deck, neck, peck, Beck
check, speck, wreck, fleck
end words
bend, tend, mend, fend, send
blend, spend
ent words
bent, sent, cent, dent, tent, gent, vent, lent, went, rent
spent, scent
misc. short e words
yes, web, Deb, gem, hem, pep, yep, step, stem
Short i CVC Word Lists
it words
bit, fit, sit, hit, kit, lit, pit, sit, wit
skit, spit, split, quit, slit knit
ip words,
dip, hip, lip, nip, kip, rip, sip, tip, zip
clip, drip, flip, ship, skip, trip, whip, chip, grip, strip, snip
in words
bin, kin, fin, din, sin, pin, tin, win
shin, chin, grin, spin, skin, thin, twin
ig words
big, dig, fig, jig, pig, rig, wig, zig, gig
twig, sprig
id words
mid, bid, lid, kid, hid, did, rid
grid, skid, slid, squid
ib words
bib, fib, rib, nib
crib
im words
him, dim, sim, rim, Jim, Kim, Tim
whim, swim, brim, grim, slim
ill words
bill, dill, fill, gill, will, hill, mill, pill, sill
Jill, chill, drill, frill, skill, spill, still, grill, quill, krill, trill, thrill, shrill
ick words
nick, lick, sick, pick, tick, Rick, wick, kick
quick, thick, slick, stick, brick, chick, trick
ing words
ding, king, sing, ring, wing, ping, zing
bring, sling, sting, cling, fling, thing, swing
ink words
link, pink, wink, rink, sink, kink
blink, stink, brink, think, clink, drink, slink, shrink
misc. short i words
this, mix, six, fix
Short o CVC Word Lists
ot words
bot, cot, dot, got, hot, jot, lot, not, pot, rot, tot
blot, clot, knot, plot, shot, slot, spot, snot, trot
op words
bop, cop, hop, lop, mop, pop, sop, top
chop, clop, crop, drop, flop, stop, shop, plop, slop, prop, glop
ob words
lob, cob, Bob, rob, mob, sob, job, gob
blob, glob, knob, slob, snob, throb
og words
bog, cog, dog, fog, hog, jog, log
clog, frog, smog, blog, slog
ox words
box, lox, fox, pox
od words
rod, sod, pod, cod, nod, mod, bod, God
prod
ock words
lock, mock, dock, rock, jock, sock, hock, tock
block, knock, stock, clock, crock, flock, shock, frock, smock
misc. short o words
mom, Tom, prom, doll, con, Ron
Short u CVC Word Lists
ut words
but, cut, nut, hut, rut, gut, jut
shut
ug words
bug, rug, dug, jug, hug, tug, lug, mug, pug
slug, plug, chug, snug, shrug
ub words
tub, rub, cub, hub, sub, nub, dub, pub
club, grub, stub, shrub
un words
bun, fun, sun, run, gun, nun, pun
stun, spun, shun
ud words
mud, bud, cud, dud
thud, stud, spud
um words
bum, gum, hum, mum, sum
chum, drum, glum, plum, scum, slum
uck words
duck, luck, suck, tuck, buck, puck, muck, yuck
truck, chuck, cluck, pluck, stuck, struck, shuck
ump words
bump, dump, hump, jump, lump, pump
chump, frump, grump, plump, slump, stump, thump, trump
misc. short u words
pup, cup, bus
thus, flux
Click the picture below to download the free printable lists from my free resource library for email subscribers.
