The Best Free CVC Word Lists: And How To Use Them.

If you have visited our site before you will know the importance we place on teaching children how to overcome that first hurdle of using the phonics and alphabet sounds they have learnt and putting them into CVC words. These CVC word lists help to achieve this.

CVC word lists help to quickly and effectively introduce students to simple, manageable chunks of text. They allow students to practice blending sounds and word construction,  developing both reading and phonetic skills. CVC word lists can be used in games and formal instruction settings.

Keep reading/scrolling to get the FREE downloadable and Printable CVC words lists and to see a huge selection of other CVC resources to help teach you students and children.

Blending and Word Construction of CVC words starts in kindergarten and progresses into first grade. It is most certainly one of the most important skills that students can learn as they develop their reading skills in school. (You can read more about reading expectations for kindergarten, first grade and second grade here on the links).

What are CVC Words?

CVC words are words constructed in a consonant-vowel-consonant format. The vowel in the medial position is always a short vowel sound. They are often the first words of real meaning introduced to students of English to introduce and teach phoneme blending and word construction.

Once this skill is familiar to students ( or even better if they have mastered it) it is then much MUCH easier for them to progress with more difficult and complex words like CVCC, and multi Syllable words. We have activities and games for these as well on the links 🙂

Why are CVC Words Important?

As mentioned in our article ”how to teach CVC words with activities and games” CVC words are the first step in developing reading and phonics skills for young learners. They learn to construct and blend sounds together to create words. It allows them to take ownership of their own work and learning and to see that they are making progress and actually learning to read.

Once they have developed this CVC word skill, then to apply that to other words in English is that much simpler. it is why we put so much emphasis in making sure our students have then skill firmly learnt. It makes the next stages so much easier.

CVC Word lists Downloads

We have two versions of these, one is here on the page you are reading, the other is the downloadable and printable versions for homes and classrooms. You are free to use these in both those settings 🙂

Click on the picture or the button below to be taken to the downloadable CVC word Lists with images or check under it for the table versions to use online. both work, but we like the ones with images as it helps to teach some vocabulary as well as the CVC word pronunciation. ( and they are more fun 😉 )

Basic CVC Word Lists

The followin 5 tables are included in case you need less distraction and less images. We have them as tables here on the webpage, and in case you need, a downloadable CVC word list pdf as well.

We have included these CVC word Lists in their Short Vowel order, so A-E-I-O-U so ou can progress through the lists step by step if required. The download however ( to save your time and our space) is all five in one file.

Just to be clear this list is not definite, ( there are thousands of CVC words) but it has enough to help practice the skills needed for students to learn and develop these phonics and reading skills. you can always add your own if you want or need more 🙂

Short a CVC Word List

ab words			ad words	ag words	am words	an words	ap words	at words
lab			lad	bag	bam	can	cap	bat
tab			sad	nag	ham	fan	lap	cat
dab			cad	rag	Sam	man	map	hat
cab			mad	tag	ram	ran	nap	mat
			mad	wag		van	tap	rat
			bad	lag		tan	yap	vat

Short e CVC Word List

eb words			ed words	eg words	em words	en words	et words	ex words
web			bed	beg	gem	den	bet	hex
Deb			led	leg	hem	hen	jet	tex
Feb			red	peg		men	vet	vex
			wed	keg		pen	pet	mex
			fed	meg		ken	wet
			med	reg		zen	set

Short i CVC Word List

ib words			id words	ig words	im words	in words	it words	ix words
fib			hid	big	him	bin	bit	six
dib			kid	dig	sim	fin	sit	mix
jib			lid	fig	Tim	kin	hit	fix
			rid	pig	rim	pin	lit	wix
			bid	wig		tin	pit
			Sid	jig		kin	kit

Short o CVC Word List

ob words			od words	og words	om words	op words	ot words	ox words
cob			cod	dog	Tom	hop	bot	pox
mob			pod	hog	Mom	cop	cot	cox
rob			God	fog	rom	mop	hot	fox
sob			rod	log	com	pop	lot	dox
lob				jog		top	pot
				cog		bop	not

Short u CVC Word List

ub words			ud words	ug words	um words	up words	ut words
cub			cud	dug	sum	pup	but
rub			pud	bug	Mum	cup	cut
tub			mud	hug	rum	sup	hut
sub			dud	lug	gum		gut
hub				jug			put
				mug			nut

How to use C-V-C Word Lists

Slappy Hands / Fast Hands

You can put the list on the board or as a printout on the table and have two students come up and listen to a word you say. They have to race to find it on the paper or board. You can play first to 5 or 10 depends on time.

Missing Letters game

I you Pint and cut he CVC word lists into sections. Then you can give the student the list and a piece of paper. When you read out a word, they have to write the spelling down. If more advanced you can use the word lists to yourself and not show the student till he end of the activity.

CVC Snap

You can cut out the words and pictures into duplicate sets and then place hem face down on the able. You can do his for one short vowel or for the whole set.

Then students pick to and turn them over, if they match they can keep them, the winner is the one with the most pairs at the end of the game.

CVC Generator Bingo

We have made an online CVC and PC generator. (Linked here and below) This can be used to play a type of Bingo. Students have the CVC word lists in front of them and have to circle the word if the generator makes it. The generator makes all sorts or real and made up words so they can practice skills without relying on sight words.

Other CVC Resources

• CVC Generator. This online app allows you to generate random CVC words just by clicking the green button. great for classrooms and homes. Allows Students to practice their CVC skills.

CVC Maker and Generator

• CVC Printable Soundopoly Game. This is good for groups or pairs of students. Free to download

Soundopoly Phonics and English game For Classrooms and Homes.

CVC Scramble Worksheets

• Thee are two versions on the site. these are the paid editable versions, but we also have the Free PDF versions as well.

10 CVC and Short Vowel Phonics Worksheets – Editable

Online games

• Cool Kindergaten
• Making English Fun Online Games
• Word Hop and Pop