CVC Words Worksheets: Free Missing Vowel Pages

CVC words are short words built from a consonant, a vowel and another consonant: cat, pig, sun. They are usually the first words children sound out on their own, because every letter makes its most common sound. When a child can blend c-a-t into "cat," reading has really begun.

These free CVC words worksheets focus on the middle sound, the short vowel. Each word has a picture, the first and last letters, and an empty box in the middle. Your child says the word, listens for the vowel and writes it in.

What your child practices

Hearing the middle sound. The vowel in the middle is the hardest sound to hear in a short word.
Short vowel sounds: a as in cat, e as in bed, i as in pig, o as in dog, u as in sun.
Letter writing. Writing a single vowel is a small, doable step for new writers.
Blending. After filling in the vowel, your child reads the whole word.

The two pages

Short A Words has five words that all use the short a sound: cat, hat, map, van and bat. Because every answer is the same vowel, children can focus on hearing the sound clearly.

Missing Vowels mixes the other short vowels in six words: pig, bed, dog, fox, bus and sun. It's a good next step once the short a page feels easy.

How to use the CVC pages

Name the pictures. Go through the pictures first so your child uses the same word you mean (a "van," not a "car").
Stretch the word. Say it slowly: "/c/ /a/ /t/." Ask, "What sound is in the middle?"
Write the vowel. The five vowels are printed at the bottom of the page for help.
Read it back. Point under each letter and blend the sounds into the word.

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CVC Words Worksheets and Activities

A set of CVC word worksheets and activities for centers or independent practice.

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Tips for teaching CVC words at home

Use sounds, not letter names. Say /a/ as in apple, not "ay." Letter names don't blend into words; sounds do.

Tap the sounds. Tap one finger on the table for each sound, then slide your hand across to blend them.

Make silly words. Change one letter at a time: cat, hat, bat, bit, big. Children love when a word turns into another word.

Short and often wins. Five words a day is better than twenty once a week.

Is my child ready for CVC words?

Children are usually ready when they know most letter sounds and can hear the first sound in a word. That often happens somewhere between ages 4 and 6. If the middle sound is still hard, start by playing "I spy something that starts with /m/" and come back to these pages in a few weeks.