CVC Words and How to Teach Them2023-10-10T14:24:28-05:00

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.

PREPARING ENGAGING LESSONS
JUST GOT EASIER …

Save hours on your lesson preparation time every week with an organized collection of high-quality, low-prep, hands-on printables right at your fingertips!

PREPARING ENGAGING LESSONS
JUST GOT EASIER …

Save hours on your lesson preparation time every week with an organized collection of high-quality, low-prep, hands-on printables right at your fingertips!

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:

AB Word Family ED Word Family ID Word Family OB Word Family UB Word Family
AD Word Family EN Word Family IG Word Family OG Word Family UG Word Family
AG Word Family ET Word Family IN Word Family OP Word Family UM Word Family
AM Word Family IP Word Family OT Word Family UN Word Family
AN Word Family IT Word Family UT Word Family
AP Word Family
AT Word Family

Printable to supplement rhyming activities:

Printables to supplement initial consonant activities:

Printables to supplement ending consonant activities:

Printables to supplement onset/rime activities:

Printbles to supplement phoneme by phoneme activities:

Reading and spelling CVC words printables:

Sentence building and reading comprehension printables:

Posters and word lists:

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

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