CVC words for kids: the full list by vowel, and how to teach blending
CVC words — consonant, vowel, consonant, like cat, pen and sun — are the first words children learn to read by sounding out. Once a child can blend three sounds, reading really begins.
On this page
1. What is a CVC word?
A word made of a Consonant, a short Vowel and a Consonant: c-a-t, p-i-g, b-u-s. Every letter says its simple sound, so children can read them without memorising.
2. Is your child ready?
Your child is ready for CVC words when they know the sounds (not just names) of most letters and can hear the first sound in a word. If not yet, start with our guide on how to teach phonics.
3. CVC words list by vowel
| Vowel | Words |
|---|---|
| short a | cat, bat, hat, mat, rat, sat, can, fan, man, pan, van, cap, map, tap, bag, rag, tag, jam, ham, dad, pad |
| short e | pen, hen, ten, men, den, net, jet, wet, pet, bed, red, fed, leg, peg, beg, web, yes |
| short i | pig, big, dig, wig, fig, pin, bin, tin, win, sit, hit, bit, lip, dip, zip, six, mix, fix, kid |
| short o | dog, log, fog, hog, pot, hot, dot, cot, top, mop, hop, box, fox, ox, rod, nod, job |
| short u | bus, cup, pup, bug, hug, mug, rug, jug, sun, run, fun, bun, nut, cut, hut, tub, rub, mud |
Teach one vowel at a time, starting with short a, then mix them once your child is confident.
4. How to teach blending
- Write the word with a dot under each letter (a “sound button”).
- Your child touches each dot and says its sound: c … a … t.
- Then sweeps a finger under the word, saying the sounds faster and faster: c-a-t, ca-t, cat!
- Show a picture to confirm. The “aha” moment is what makes it stick.
The Phonics & Sight Words book has 15 CVC pages with sound dots and pictures for every word. See the Phonics & Sight Words Practice Book →5. Word families
Words that share an ending are a fantastic shortcut: learn -at and you can read cat, bat, hat, mat, rat, sat.
6. Eight CVC games for home
- Roll & read: roll a dice, read a word from that column.
- Word slider: change the first letter — cat, bat, hat.
- I spy: “I spy something that rhymes with log.”
- Picture match: join words to pictures.
- Missing vowel: c _ t — which vowel fits?
- Fishing: paper fish with words and a magnet rod.
- Treasure hunt: hide word cards; read each one you find.
- Word search: circle CVC words in a letter grid.
7. A 5-week plan
| Week | Focus | Daily (10–15 min) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Short a | Blend 6 words, match pictures, one word family |
| 2 | Short i | Same routine, revise short a |
| 3 | Short o | Add a missing-vowel game |
| 4 | Short u and e | Read tiny sentences: The cat sat on a mat. |
| 5 | Mixed review | Roll & read, word search, write words from pictures |
8. How to check progress
Every Friday, write ten CVC words on cards and ask your child to read them. Count how many they read correctly without help. When they read 9 out of 10 smoothly, they are ready for blends (frog, star) and digraphs (ship, chick). Keep the cards — children love seeing the “I can read” pile grow.
Questions parents ask
What are CVC words?
Three-letter words made of a consonant, a short vowel and a consonant, such as cat, pen, pig, dog and bus.
Which class learns CVC words?
Most children learn them in UKG, and practise them further in Class 1.
Which vowel should I teach first?
Short a is the usual starting point, followed by i, o, u and e. Then mix all five.
My child knows letters but cannot blend. What should I do?
Practise oral blending first: say c...a...t and let your child guess the word, without any writing. Then add sound buttons.
Phonics & Sight Words Practice Book — 74 printable pages
74 printable pages · LKG to Class 2
- Letter sounds a–z with pictures
- CVC words, blends, digraphs and magic e
- All 92 Dolch sight words, flashcards and 4 first stories
Print as many times as you like · Buy any 2 packs together and get 10% off