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Short a CVC words
Printable list of short a CVC words · 2 pages
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Short a is the sound in cat: /a/, said with the mouth open wide. It is usually the first vowel children learn because it is easy to hear and stretch, and so many simple words use it.
This list holds the short a CVC words from our bank, sorted into seven word families: -at, -an, -ap, -ag, -am, -ad and -ab. Reading down a family (bat, cat, fat, hat) lets your child reuse the ending and only change the first sound. Reading across families makes them look at every letter.
Once short a feels easy, mix it with short i (the next vowel in many programs) on a sort or a missing-letter sheet, so your child has to listen for the vowel instead of assuming it.
Tips for using it
- Have your child tap one finger per sound (c-a-t), then sweep the finger under the word as they blend it.
- Watch for words that end in m or n, like ham and fan: the a can sound slightly different before them. That's normal and fine.
Variations
All cvc words listQuestions
What is the short a sound?
It's the vowel sound in apple, cat and map. Long a, by contrast, says its name, as in cake or rain.
Which short a word families should we start with?
-at and -an are the most common starting families because they have the most familiar words. Add -ap and -ag next.