Short e CVC worksheets
Fill in the missing letters in 12 short e CVC words, with an answer key · 1 page + answer key
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Short e is the vowel children confuse most, usually with short i. On this sheet each short e word is missing its vowel, and your child picks from two or three choices. Only the e makes a real word, so they have to listen to the middle sound, not guess from the first letter.
The words come from the -et, -en, -ed and -eg families plus web and yes. There are fewer short e CVC words than for other vowels, so the sheet has 12 items.
If your child keeps choosing i, say the two versions out loud (pet, pit) and ask which one they hear. A mirror helps: short e has a wider mouth than short i.
Tips for using it
- Say the word with each choice before writing. Your child should hear which one is real.
- Follow up with the short e sound boxes or a short e and short i sort.
Variations
All cvc worksheetsQuestions
Why is short e so hard?
It's close to short i in the mouth, and in many accents pen and pin sound alike. Practice hearing pairs out loud before reading them.
What words are on this worksheet?
Short e CVC words from families like -et (net, pet), -en (hen, ten), -ed (bed, red) and -eg (leg, peg).