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CVC words are short words made of a consonant, a short vowel and a consonant, such as cat, pig, hop, sun and bed. Each letter makes one sound, so a child who knows the letter sounds can read them by saying each sound and joining them. They are usually the first words a child learns to read.
C stands for consonant and V for vowel. A CVC word has three sounds: a consonant, a short vowel in the middle, and a consonant at the end. Cat is c, a, t. Pig is p, i, g.
The vowel is short: a as in apple, e as in egg, i as in itch, o as in octopus, u as in up.
Every letter in a CVC word makes its own sound, with no silent letters and no letter teams. That makes them the first words a child can read alone.
Reading them is how a child learns to blend: to say each sound and then the word.
Start with words that use the first letter sounds your child knows, such as s, a, t, p, i and n: sat, pin, tap, nap. Say each sound while pointing to its letter, then say the word.
Change one letter at a time to make a new word: cat, hat, hot, hop. This keeps your child looking at every letter.
If your child knows the sounds but cannot join them, practice blending by ear first: you say m, a, p, and your child says map.
If your child guesses from the first letter, cover the pictures and read the word sound by sound.
Practice this in the free reading appReading games your child can play on a phone, tablet or computer. Every word can be sounded out. No sign-up.Open the app
Point to each letter as you say its sound.
Start with words that use only known sounds.
Change one letter to make a new word.
Say the sounds slowly, then fast, to hear the word.
Read the words in short sentences too.
Word ChainsOne sound changes each time: map, mad, mud. Your child spots what changed and reads the new word.Play free
Listen and Say the WordYou say the sounds slowly, your child says the whole word. No letters to look at, so it trains the ear first.Play free
Build the WordYour child hears a word and taps the letter tiles in the right order to build it.Play freeShort a words worksheets, CVC word family practice.
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CVC cut and paste worksheets for beginning, middle and ending sounds.
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All 5 read and match level worksheet packs in one download.
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All 7 letter sounds level worksheet packs in one download.
See insideNo. Ship has the letter team sh, and cake has a silent e. They come after CVC words.
Hundreds. With the five short vowels and the common consonants, there are plenty for months of practice.
Words with four or five sounds such as stop and jump, then letter teams such as sh and ch, then silent e words.
Some teachers use them to check that a child is reading and not remembering. For home practice, real words are more fun.
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Learn to ReadHow to Help a Child With Vowel SoundsYour child mixes up vowel sounds like short a, e and i. How to teach one short vowel at a time, with mouth shapes and short words to read.Read the guideThe packs on this site are free. The One Sheet goes further: one sheet a day, made for your child from what you tell us happened.
See The One Sheet · $9.99 a month
Or try the 10-day plan: From Sounds to Words, $19 one timeOr do the free 3-minute check first