

Posted by: Alesia Netuk
Updated: October 10th, 2023
CVC Words and How to Teach Them
CVC Words and How to Teach Them
CVC words follow the pattern Consonant-Vowel-Consonant. These simple words are a great start for kindergarten children to practice reading and spelling. CVC words are great for building fundamental phonics skills. It is much easier for kindergarten students to learn to read CVC words with the same pattern (word family).
What are CVC words?
Examples: cat, hat, rat, or bed, red, set.
Reading those words is predictable, and students easily follow the pattern.
What is the rule for CVC words?
When the word follows CVC pattern (consonant-vowel-consonant), the vowel represents the short sound.
The short vowel sound for an a is /a/. Example: cat – /k/ /a/ /t/.
The short vowel sound for an e is /e/. Example: bed – /b/ /e/ /d/.
The short vowel sound for an i is /i/. Example: lid – /l/ /i/ /d/.
The short vowel sound for an o is /o/. Example: pot – /p/ /o/ t/.
The short vowel sound for an u is /u/. Example: bug – /b/ /u/ /g/.
Short A CVC Words
AB | AD | AG | AM | AN | AP | AT |
cab | bad | bag | dam | ban | cap | bat |
dab | dad | gag | ham | can | gap | cat |
gab | fad | jag | jam | Dan | lap | fat |
jab | had | lag | Pam | fan | map | hat |
lab | lad | nag | ram | man | nap | mat |
nab | mad | rag | Sam | pan | rap | pat |
tab | pad | sag | tam | ran | sap | rat |
sad | tag | yam | tan | tap | sat | |
tad | wag | van | yap | vat |
Short E CVC Words
ED | EG | EM | EN | EP | ET |
bed | beg | gem | Ben | pep | bet |
fed | keg | hem | den | rep | get |
led | leg | hen | jet | ||
Ned | peg | Ken | let | ||
red | men | met | |||
Ted | pen | net | |||
wed | ten | pet | |||
yen | set | ||||
vet | |||||
wet | |||||
yet |
Short I CVC Words
IB | ID | IG | IM | IN | IP | IT |
fib | bid | big | dim | bin | dip | bit |
rib | did | dig | him | fin | hip | fit |
hid | fig | Jim | kin | lip | hit | |
kid | gig | Kim | pin | nip | kit | |
lid | jig | rim | tin | rip | lit | |
mid | pig | Tim | win | sip | pit | |
rid | rig | tip | sit | |||
wig | zip | wit |
Short O CVC Words
OB | OD | OG | ON | OP | OT |
cob | cod | bog | son | bop | cot |
gob | mod | cog | ton | cop | dot |
job | nod | dog | won | hop | got |
lob | pod | fog | mop | hot | |
mob | rod | hog | pop | jot | |
rob | sod | jog | sop | lot | |
sob | log | top | not | ||
pot | |||||
rot | |||||
tot |
Short U CVC Words
UB | UD | UG | UM | UN | UP | UT |
cub | bud | bug | bum | bun | cup | but |
dub | cud | dug | gum | fun | pup | cut |
hub | dud | hug | hum | gun | sup | gut |
nub | mud | jug | mum | pun | hut | |
rub | lug | sum | run | jut | ||
sub | mug | yum | sun | nut | ||
tub | pug | rut | ||||
rug | ||||||
tug |
CVC Words - Alphabetical Order by Initial Consonant
bad | cab | dab | fad | gab | had | jab | keg | lab | mad | nab | pad | rag | sad | tab | van | wag | lax | yam | zip |
bag | can | dad | fan | gag | ham | jag | Ken | lad | man | nag | Pam | ram | sag | tad | vat | wax | Max | yap | |
ban | cap | dam | fat | gap | hat | jam | kid | lag | map | nap | pan | ran | Sam | tag | vet | wed | tax | yen | |
bat | cat | Dan | fed | gem | hem | jet | Kim | lap | mat | Ned | pat | rap | sap | tam | wet | wax | yet | ||
bed | cob | den | fib | get | hen | jig | kin | lax | Max | net | peg | rat | sat | tan | wig | fix | yum | ||
beg | cod | did | fig | gig | hid | Jim | kit | led | Meg | nip | pen | red | set | tap | win | mix | |||
Ben | cog | dig | fin | gob | him | job | leg | men | nod | pep | rep | sip | tax | wit | six | ||||
bet | cop | dim | fit | got | hip | jog | let | met | not | pet | rib | sit | Ted | won | box | ||||
bid | cot | dip | fix | gum | his | jot | lid | mid | nub | pig | rid | six | ten | fox | |||||
big | cub | dog | fog | gun | hit | jug | lip | mix | nut | pin | rig | sob | Tim | lox | |||||
bin | cud | dot | fox | gut | hog | jut | lit | mob | pit | rim | sod | tin | pox | ||||||
bit | cup | dub | fun | hop | lob | mod | pod | rip | son | tip | |||||||||
bib | cut | dud | hot | log | mop | pop | rob | sop | ton | ||||||||||
Bob | dug | hub | lot | mud | pot | rod | sub | top | |||||||||||
bog | hug | lox | mug | pox | rot | sum | tot | ||||||||||||
bop | hum | lug | mum | pug | rub | sun | tub | ||||||||||||
box | hut | pun | rug | sup | tug | ||||||||||||||
bud | pup | run | |||||||||||||||||
bug | rut | ||||||||||||||||||
bum | |||||||||||||||||||
bun | |||||||||||||||||||
bus | |||||||||||||||||||
but |
CVC Words - Alphabetical Order by Ending Consonant
bib | bad | bag | dam | ban | cap | his | bat |
Bob | dad | gag | ham | Ben | gap | bus | cat |
cab | fad | jag | jam | can | lap | fat | |
dab | had | lag | Pam | Dan | map | hat | |
gab | lad | nag | ram | fan | nap | mat | |
jab | mad | rag | Sam | man | rap | pat | |
lab | pad | sag | tam | pan | sap | rat | |
nab | sad | tag | yam | ran | tap | sat | |
tab | tad | wag | gem | tan | yap | vat | |
fib | bed | beg | hem | van | pep | bet | |
rib | fed | keg | dim | den | rep | get | |
cob | led | leg | him | hen | dip | jet | |
gob | Ned | Meg | Jim | Ken | hip | let | |
job | red | peg | Kim | men | lip | met | |
lob | Ted | big | rim | pen | nip | net | |
mob | wed | dig | Tim | ten | rip | pet | |
rob | bid | fig | bum | yen | sip | set | |
sob | did | gig | gum | bin | tip | vet | |
cub | hid | jig | hum | fin | zip | wet | |
dub | kid | pig | mum | kin | bop | yet | |
hub | lid | rig | sum | pin | cop | bit | |
nub | mid | wig | yum | tin | hop | fit | |
rub | rid | bog | win | mop | hit | ||
sub | cod | cog | son | pop | kit | ||
tub | mod | dog | ton | sop | lit | ||
nod | fog | won | top | pit | |||
pod | hog | bun | cup | sit | |||
rod | jog | fun | pup | wit | |||
sod | log | gun | sup | cot | |||
bud | bug | pun | dot | ||||
cud | dug | run | got | ||||
dud | hug | sun | hot | ||||
mud | jug | jot | |||||
lug | lot | ||||||
mug | not | ||||||
pug | pot | ||||||
rug | rot | ||||||
tug | tot | ||||||
but | |||||||
cut | |||||||
gut | |||||||
hut | |||||||
jut | |||||||
nut | |||||||
rut |
How to teach CVC Words?
Use the lists below to build phonemic awareness activities or download ready-to-use printables for the next lesson. Phonemic awareness is the ability to manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words, including rhyming, initial, medial, and ending sound categorization and manipulation, oral blending, and segmentation.
Step 1 – rhyming activities.
Step 2 – phoneme categorization activities.
Step 3 – oral blending and segmentation activities.
Step 4 – phoneme manipulation activities.
Step 5 – read and spell CVC words in isolation.
Step 6 – read words in sentences and short passages.
Rhyming activities:
Example 1: I see one bug sitting on a rug. I see one dog sitting on a log. (rhyming words bug-rug, dog-log)
Example 2 – phoneme categorization: Which word doesn’t rhyme: fan, van, cap? (cap)
Initial consonant activities:
Example 1 – phoneme categorization: Which two words begin with the same sound: dog, dot, tip? (dog and dot)
Example 2 – phoneme manipulation: Replace the first sound in the word cab with /l/. (lab)
Example 3 – phoneme manipulation: Say dog without the /d/. (og)
Ending consonant activities:
Example 1 – phoneme categorization: Which two words end with the same sound: cap, gap, cab? (cap and gap)
Example 2 – phoneme manipulation: Replace the last sound in the word bug with /n/. (bun)
Example 3 – phoneme manipulation: Say kit without the /t/. (ki)
Medial sounds activities:
Example 1 – phoneme categorization: Which words have the same middle sound: fan, man, dog? (fan and man)
Example 2 – phoneme manipulation: Replace the middle sound in the word bug with /a/. (bag)
Onset/rime activities:
Example 1 – oral blending: Listen to these word parts: /k/ … ab. Say the word as a whole. (cab)
Example 2 – oral segmentation: Listen to the word: cab. Say the first sound in the word and then the rest of the word. (/k/ … ab)
Phoneme by phoneme activities:
Example 1 – oral blending: Listen to these word parts: /h/ /a/ /m/. Say the word as a whole (ham).
Example 2 – oral segmentation and phoneme counting: Listen to this word: ham. Say the word sound by sound. (/h/ /a/ /m/) How many sounds do you hear? (3)
CVC Words Ending M, N, or L
When a CVC word ends with the consonants m, n, or l, the pronunciation of the vowel sound is slightly different. The consonants m, n, and l are nasal consonants, meaning air can flow through the nose while being pronounced. When a short vowel sound is followed by one of these nasal consonants, the vowel sound is “nasalized, and the sound is produced with the soft palate lowered, allowing air to flow through the nose and the mouth. For example, in the CVC word “ham,” the vowel sound is “a” as in “cat.” However, because the word ends with the nasal consonant “m,” the “a” sound is pronounced with a slight nasal quality. We don’t recommend using CVC word family ending m, n, or l (as am, an, em, en, etc.) to introduce the vowel sound.
Below are ready-to-use printables to supplement lessons focusing on AT word family. More printables on short a vowel, short e vowel, short i vowel, short o vowel, short u vowel. More printables on other word families and CVC words (CVCC words) can be found here:
Printable to supplement rhyming activities:
Find and Color AT Word Family Pictures
Children find the AT word family pictures and color them. It is a great way to introduce the new words ending -at: bat, hat, cat, mat, rat, sat, pat, fat.
AT Word Family Flip Book
This printable AT word family flip book helps children understand the concept of rhyme. Words: rat, hat, cat, mat, bat.
AT Word Family Flip Book
Printables to supplement initial consonant activities:
Building Words – AT Word Family Printables
With this worksheet, kids write eight words ending AT. Examples of AT word family words: fat, mat, sat, cat, hat, pat, bat.
AT Word Family Activity
Combining games with learning is a win-win situation. This AT word family activity is ready-to-use in your spelling station!
AT Word Family Activity
AT Word Family Flashcards
AT word family flashcards help children learn to read, identify initial, medial, and ending sounds and increase vocabulary. Words: mat, sat, cat, rat, fat, pat, bat, hat.
AT Word Family Flashcards
Blending AT Family Words
Splitting a word into parts helps children spell the word. CVC words are the easiest to break into parts. Children practice segmenting and reading words from AT word family.
Blending AT Family Words
Printables to supplement ending consonant activities:
AT Word Family Words
This word wall support childen’s writing and spelling. They find the AT family words and copy them from the wall. Picture clues help find the words.
AT Word Family Words
Printables to supplement onset/rime activities:
Word Scramble – AT Family Words
This scrambled puzzle is one of the best AT word family games that promotes critical thinking and spelling. Scrambled words: bat, hat, sat, fat, cat, mat, pat.
Word Scramble – AT Family Words
AT Family Words Search
Word searches are great activities and help kids develop spelling, problem-solving, and analytical skills. AT family words in this puzzle: fat, sat, cat, hat, mat, pat, bat.
AT Family Words Search
AT Word Family Mini Book
This AT word family mini-book helps children practice segmenting and blending onset and rime to build strong spelling skills. Kids practice 7 words ending -at.
AT Word Family Mini Book
Sounding Out AT Family Words
In this worksheet, children look at the picture and spell the words ending -at. Spelling words: hat, rat, cat, mat.
Sounding Out AT Family Words
AT Family Word Wheel
This AT word family wheel spinner helps children decode new words. Children practice identifying the rime ending -at and onset.
AT Family Word Wheel
AT Family Words Activity
With this AT word family activity, children read and write words. Words: bat, rat, cat, hat, sat, pat, mat, fat.
AT Family Words Activity
Printbles to supplement phoneme by phoneme activities:
The AT Family Words – Segmentation Cards
The AT family words segmenting and blending cards allow students to isolate individual sounds within words and blend them together.
Elkonin Boxes – AT Word Family
These AT word family words Elkonin boxes help students build phonological awareness by segmenting words into sounds and counting the number of phonemes.
Elkonin Boxes – AT Word Family
Segmenting AT Family Words
When teaching children how to blend sounds in words from AT word family, it is important that they learn to do it fluidly, moving from one sound right into the next.
Segmenting AT Family Words
AT Family Words With Pictures – Puzzles
These AT word family puzzles are a great way to practice blending and improve reading skills. Puzzles: hat, rat, cat, mat.
Spelling AT Word Family Words
This worksheet teaches children AT word family words and engages different brain parts needed to learn a word. Words: hat, rat, pat, cat, fat, sat, bat, mat, .
Spelling AT Word Family Words
Blending AT Family Words
Splitting a word into parts helps children spell the word. CVC words are the easiest to break into parts. Children practice segmenting and reading words from AT word family.
Blending AT Family Words
AT Family Words And Pictures
This activity helps children blend sounds and read the words. It also allows children to connect AT family words and pictures.
AT Family Words And Pictures
AT Word Family Activities
In this AT word family activity children spin a picture, read the word in the corresponding box and cover it. Reading words: hat, rat, cat, mat, bat, fat
AT Word Family Activities
Spin and Write AT Family Words
Children spin a picture and spell the word in this ATword family activity. Spelling words: hat, rat, cat, mat.
Spin and Write AT Family Words
Reading and spelling CVC words printables:
AT Word Family Reading Fluency
AT word family reading fluency activity helps kids understand word patterns and see “chunks” in words. Words: rat, cat, sat, mat, hat, pat, fat, bat.
AT Word Family Reading Fluency
Read and Spell AT Family Words
With this printable activity, kindergarteners learn to read and spell AT family words. Great addition to your literacy center and AT word family word work.
Read and Spell AT Family Words
AT Word Family Activities – Roll Read Trace
Practice reading and spelling AT family words in interactive and engaging way. AT word family words: cat, fat, sat, pat, hat, bat, mat.
Sentence building and reading comprehension printables:
Making AT Word Family Sentences
Kids learn to write sentences with AT word family words using the word bank. Encourage kids to share their writings with classmates.
Making AT Word Family Sentences
AT Word Family Reading Comprehension
AT word family reading comprehension simple story for kindergarten kids! This worksheet has 6 activities, including reading passage and focuses on words ending -at.
AT Word Family Reading Comprehension
A-MAZE-ING AT Family Words Sentences
This download includes A-MAZE-ING AT Family Words Sentences. Kids will be super excited to solve the maze and practice reading AT words: cat, hat, mat, rat.
A-MAZE-ING AT Family Words Sentences
AT Word Family Worksheet
In this worksheet, children read the word and drew a line to the matching picture. AT words and pictures: sat, rat, cat, hat, bat, pat, mat, fat.
AT Word Family Worksheet
Posters and word lists:
AT Word Family List
Teach beginning spellers that words contain and share patterns. Use this word family list to introduce the sound of words ending with -AT.
AT Word Family List
AT Word Family Anchor Chart
These AT word family posters help children generate oral sentences, or use it as a reference for their spelling activities. Words: mat, hat, bat, rat, sat, pat, fat, cat.
AT Word Family Anchor Chart
What are CVCC and CCVC Words?
CVCC (consonant-vowel-consonant-consonant) and CCVC (consonant-consonant-vowel-consonant) are words that begin or end with blends or digraphs. Examples: black, clam, hack, lack, shrub.
Phoneme manipulation activities:
Example 1 – initial phoneme deletion in a blend: Say frog without /f/. (rog)
Example 2 – second phoneme deletion in a blend: Say frog without /r/. (fog)
Example 2 – final phoneme deletion in a blend: Say gold without /d/. (gol)
CVCC, CCVC, CCVCC, CVC Words List in Alphabetical Order
back | buck | cop | drum | gash | hip | lab | mug | plug | sag | slid | stag | tip | wit |
bad | bud | cot | duck | gel | his | lack | mum | plum | Sam | slim | step | tock | won |
bag | bug | crab | dud | gem | hit | lad | mush | pod | sap | slip | stick | Tom | wreck |
bam | bum | crack | dug | get | hog | lag | nab | pop | sash | slit | stock | ton | yak |
ban | bun | cram | dwell | gig | hop | lap | nag | pot | sat | slob | stop | top | yam |
bash | bus | crash | fad | gin | hot | lash | nap | pox | scab | slop | stub | tot | yap |
bat | but | crib | fan | glad | hub | led | neck | puck | scam | slot | stuck | track | yell |
bath | cab | crop | fat | glob | hug | leg | net | pug | scan | slug | stud | tram | yes |
beck | can | crush | fed | glop | hum | let | nick | pun | scum | slum | stun | trap | yet |
bed | cap | cub | fig | glum | hush | lick | nip | pup | sell | slush | sub | trick | zap |
beg | cash | cud | fin | gnat | hut | lid | nod | quit | set | smash | suck | trim | zig |
bell | cat | cup | fish | gob | jab | lip | not | rack | shack | smell | sum | trip | zip |
Ben | cell | cut | fit | God | jack | lit | nub | rag | shed | smock | sun | truck | zit |
bet | chap | dab | fix | got | jam | lob | nun | ram | shell | snack | swam | tub | |
bid | chat | dad | flag | grab | jell | lock | nut | ran | shin | snag | swell | tuck | |
big | check | dam | flap | grim | jet | log | pack | rap | ship | snap | swim | tug | |
bin | chick | Dan | flash | grin | jib | lop | pad | rash | shock | snip | swish | twig | |
bit | chin | dash | flat | grip | jig | lot | pal | rat | shop | snob | tab | twin | |
blab | chip | deck | fleck | grub | Jim | luck | Pam | red | shot | snub | tack | van | |
black | chop | dell | fled | gum | jip | lug | pan | rid | shut | snug | tad | vat | |
bled | chuck | den | flick | gun | job | lush | pat | rig | sick | sob | tag | vet | |
blob | chum | did | flip | Gus | jog | mad | peck | rim | sin | sock | tan | wag | |
block | clam | dig | flock | gush | jot | man | peg | rip | sip | sod | tap | wax | |
blog | clan | dim | flop | gut | jug | map | pen | rob | sit | son | tax | web | |
blot | clap | din | flush | hack | jut | mash | pep | rock | six | spam | Ted | wed | |
blush | clash | dip | fog | had | keg | mat | pet | rod | skid | spat | tell | well | |
bog | click | dish | fox | hag | Ken | math | pick | rot | skim | speck | ten | wet | |
bop | clip | dock | fret | ham | kick | men | pig | rub | skin | spell | than | wham | |
box | clock | dog | frog | has | kid | met | pin | rug | skip | spin | then | when | |
brag | clog | Don | fun | hash | Kim | mix | pit | rum | slab | spit | thick | whim | |
brat | cluck | dot | gab | hat | kin | mob | plan | run | slam | spot | thin | whip | |
bred | cob | drag | gag | hem | kit | mom | pled | rush | slap | spud | this | wick | |
brick | cod | drip | gal | hen | knit | mop | plop | rut | slash | spun | thud | wig | |
brim | cog | drop | gap | hid | knob | muck | plot | sack | sled | stab | tick | win | |
brush | con | drug | gas | him | knot | mud | pluck | sad | slick | stack | tin | wish |
References
- Phonics from A to Z. A Practical Guide. Wiley Blevins. (p.48-49)
- Letter-Sound Reading: Teaching Preschool Children Print-to-Sound Processing
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