Short Vowels Chart
The five vowels each make a short sound in the middle of words like cat, bed, pig, dog and sun.
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How to do it
- Say each vowel's short sound.
- Name the picture that starts with it.
- Read the two words for each vowel.
Teaching tip
Make the sound with your child, not the letter name. This sheet is aligned with Common Core RF.K.3b.
About this chart
The five short vowels with apple, egg, igloo, octopus and umbrella, and two CVC words for each.
What kids practice
CVC words are short words made of a consonant, a vowel and a consonant, like cat, bed, pig, dog and sun. The vowel in the middle makes its short sound. Reading these words is the first big step in reading on your own, and every word on these sheets has a picture to check with. They are the heart of kindergarten phonics.
Watch for
- Mixing up short e and short i, like bed and bid. Say them side by side.
- Reading the letters in the wrong order, like pot as top. Point left to right.
- Saying the long vowel name instead of the short sound.
It's free to print, as many copies as you need. See the full short-vowel CVC words phonics guide for kindergarten.
More sheets in this set
2. Short A WordsShort a words like cat, map and jam to read, trace, write and color.
3. Short E WordsShort e words like bed, hen and jet to read, trace, write and color.
4. Short I WordsShort i words like pig, lid and wig to read, trace, write and color.
5. Short O WordsShort o words like dog, mop and fox to read, trace, write and color.
6. Short U WordsShort u words like sun, bug and pup to read, trace, write and color.
7. Which Vowel?Pictures with the vowel missing, like c_t, and all five vowels to choose from.
8. Read and MatchShort vowel words like pot, can and jug, matched to their pictures.
9. Word Family HousesWord family houses like -at, -ig and -ug, with a picture for each word to build.
10. Vowel SortA word bank of short vowel words with pictures to sort and write under a, e, i, o and u.
11. Color by VowelA hidden picture made of short vowel words, colored by each word's vowel.
12. Color by Word FamilyA hidden picture made of CVC words like cat, pig and hen, colored by word family: -at, -ig, -op, -un, -en and -ug. Includes an answer key.