CVC Word List

This ultimate CVC word list is a tool with common words and short phonic endings used in kindergarten through second grade.

Our five charts (for the letters a, i, o, u, and e) show words in beginner and advanced categories. The first few weeks of decoding require simple words with standard pronunciations and familiar meanings.

Beginner CVC Lists

The beginner charts provide words that are appropriate for the first few weeks when students are practicing that amazing skill of decoding such words as cat, dog, pig, and hen.

Our charts have the following features:

• Starting letters are listed down the left side (b,c,d,f,g,h,j,k,l,m,p,q,r,t,v,w,y,z)
• Common two letter endings are listed across the top (ab, ad, ag, an, am, ap, at, id, ig, im, in, ip, it, ob, od, og, om, op, ot, ub, ud, ug, um, un, up, us, ut, eb, ed, eg, en, et, es)

How to Use Beginner Charts

Some teach the initial decoding of CVC words using words families (cat, rat, hat, sat or run, sun, fun, bun.)

Others initially teach using lists of the first two letters (cap, cat, can or pin, pig, pit.)

Some teachers emphasize using soft sounds (like s, r, and l) in the first weeks as these sounds can be held longer. (sam, run, fin compared to bag, tip, dog)

Our lists of CVC words are perfect for teachers using any of the methods above. For those teachers who use both the word families method AND the first two letters method the charts are particularly helpful.

Common Words Only in the Beginner Lists

In the beginner lists, we are using only words that are likely to be familiar to four and six year olds.

Of course, this is a matter of my interpretation. The words "pug" and "ban" might be very familiar in certain households, and unknown to children from other families. If the sentence, "Ban the pug from the den" would be understood by your student, feel free to transfer those words from the advanced chart into the correct place on the beginner chart.

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Advanced CVC Lists

Our advanced lists are included on the same pages as the beginner charts. These advanced lists provide three additional types of words.

Uncommon Words

As mentioned above, common 3 letter CVC words are included in the beginner lists. Simple phonic words with less common meanings (kin, nun, sup) are in the advanced chart. Those words can be added to the beginning chart if they are familiar.

Four Letter Endings

These phonic families are listed across the top of the advanced lists:

• ack
• ash
• all
• ick
• ill
• ix
• if (iff)
• ish
• ock
• ox
• uck
• ush
• ust
• eck
• ell
• est

Diagraphs and Blends

Diagraphs (ch, sh, th, wh) and blends (br, gl, sn, tr etc.) are listed at the bottom of the chart on the left hand side.

Teach Concepts in Any Order

Whether you teach the the short ck words (ack, eck, ick, ock, uck) first, or the blends first (br, gr, tr) you will have a list of short vowel words for practice with encoding and decoding activities.