CVC words are a staple in any kindergarten, first grade, and even second grade classroom. We all read them, we all use them, and for many students they’re the first words that make them feel like readers. Here are all the lists and resources you need to teach CVC words.
Plus grab our free printable CVC word list and cards. Then try some of the activities below.
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Why are CVC words so important?
CVC words are some of the first words students learn to read. They have a simple pattern—consonant-vowel-consonant—which makes it easier for students to blend the sounds into words. Even when students know all their letter sounds, these words are short enough that they don’t require too much working memory to blend from start to finish.
CVC words are also words that students can manipulate easily, switching out beginning and ending sounds to make new words and strengthening their phonemic awareness. Replacing the /c/ in cat for /r/ to make rat, for example.
And CVC words form the basis for syllables later. CVC words and the skills students use to sound out CVC words come into play when students sound out two- and three-syllable words like hamlet or miracle.
CVC Word Lists
These CVC word lists by family organize all the CVC words you need to know to make finding the right word and organizing instruction easy. One note: CVC words may have three or four letters depending on the sounds that are used. So, the word “chap” can be a CVC word in the “ap” family because /ch/ is a single sound.
Short ‘a’ Word List
ab: cab, dab, gab, jab, lab, nab, tab, blab, crab, grab, scab, stab, slab
at: bat, cat, fat, hat, mat, pat, rat, sat, vat, brat, chat, flat, gnat, spat
ad: bad, dad, had, lad, mad, pad, sad, tad, glad
an: ban, can, fan, man, pan, ran, tan, van, clan, plan, scan, than
ag: bag, gag, hag, lag, nag, rag, sag, tag, wag, brag, drag, flag, snag, stag
ap: cap, gap, lap, map, nap, rap, sap, tap, yap, zap, chap, clap, flap, slap, snap, trap
am: bam, dam, ham, jam, ram, yam, clam, cram, scam, slam, spam, swam, tram, wham
ack: back, hack, jack, lack, pack, rack, sack, tack, black, crack, shack, snack, stack, quack, track
ash: bash, cash, dash, gash, hash, lash, mash, rash, sash, clash, crash, flash, slash, smash
More words: gal, pal, gas, yak, wax, tax, bath, math
Short ‘e’ Word List
ed: bed, fed, led, red, wed, bled, bred, fled, pled, sled, shed
eg: beg, keg, leg, peg
et: bet, get, jet, let, met, net, pet, set, vet, wet, yet, fret
en: den, hen, men, pen, ten, then, when
eck: beck, deck, neck, peck, check, fleck, speck, wreck
ell: bell, cell, dell, jell, sell, tell, well, yell, dwell, shell, smell, spell, swell
More words: yes, web, gem, hem, pep, step
Short ‘i’ Word List
it: bit, fit, hit, kit, lit, pit, sit, wit, knit, quit, slit, spit
id: bid, did, hid, kid, lid, rid, skid, slid
ig: big, dig, fig, gig, jig, pig, rig, wig, zig, twig
im: dim, him, rim, brim, grim, skim, slim, swim, trim, whim
ip: dip, hip, lip, nip, rip, sip, tip, zip, chip, clip, drip, flip, grip, ship, skip, slip, snip, trip, whip
ick: kick, lick, nick, pick, sick, tick, wick, brick, chick, click, flick, quick, slick, stick, thick, trick
ish: fish, dish, wish, swish
in: bin, din, fin, pin, sin, tin, win, chin, grin, shin, skin, spin, thin, twin
More words: him, this, mix, six, fix, crib
Short ‘o’ Word List
ot: cot, dot, got, hot, jot, lot, not, pot, rot, tot, blot, knot, plot, shot, slot, spot
ob: cob, gob, job, lob, mob, rob, sob, blob, glob, knob, slob, snob
og: bog, cog, dog, fog, hog, jog, log, blog, clog, frog
op: cop, hop, mop, pop, top, chop, crop, drop, flop, glop, plop, shop, slop, stop
ock: dock, lock, rock, sock, tock, block, clock, flock, frock, shock smock, stock
More words: box, fox, pox, rod, sod, mom
Short ‘u’ Word List
ub: cub, hub, nub, rub, sub, tub, grub, snub, stub
ud: bud, cud, dud, mud, spud, stud, thud
ug: bug, dug, hug, jug, lug, mug, pug, rug, tug, drug, plug, slug, snug
um: bum, gum, hum, mum, sum, chum, drum, glum, plum, scum, slum
un: bun, fun, gun, nun, pun, run, sun, spun, stun
ut: but, cut, gut, hut, jut, nut, rut, shut
uck: buck, duck, luck, muck, puck, suck, tuck, yuck, chuck, cluck, pluck, stuck, truck
ush: gush, hush, lush, mush, rush, blush, brush, crush, flush, slush
More words: pup, cup, bus
How To Use the CVC Word Lists and Cards
There are plenty of creative ways to use these CVC word lists. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Magnet-Word Building
Provide letter blocks or letter magnets and have students build CVC words using them.
Word Puzzles
Create puzzles where each piece contains a letter, and have students assemble them to form CVC words.
Picture-Word Matching
Provide pictures of CVC words along with the corresponding words. Ask students to match them.
Word Bingo
Create bingo cards with CVC words. Call out words, and children mark them if they have them on their card.
Memory Game
Make pairs of cards with CVC words. Place them face down and have students turn over two cards at a time to find matching pairs.
Write and Erase
Write CVC words on a whiteboard or paper. Have students read the word, then erase it and write it themselves.
Scavenger Hunt
Hide cards or objects with CVC words around the room. Students have to find them and read the words.
CVC Word Sorting
Provide a mix of CVC word cards. Have students sort them based on their vowel sound.
Fill in the Blanks
Provide sentences with missing CVC words. Have students fill in the blanks.
Rhyming Words
Present a CVC word and ask students to come up with rhyming words.
Roll and Read
Write CVC word endings (e.g., -at, -in, -og) on dry-erase dice. Have students roll the dice and read a word with that ending.
Story Creation
Encourage students to create a short story using a set of CVC words.
Get Your Free CVC Words Printable
Print copies of the word list and cards to keep on hand for spelling lists and instructional examples, as well as games and activies like the ones above.
