CVC words are three-sound words with a short vowel in the middle, like sat and pin. In Zupzi Read they start in Level 1, lesson 5, right after the first four sounds. Below: the 143 CVC words from the word lists of Levels 1 and 2, by vowel and word family, each with the lesson after which it can be read.
- 8 lessons
- Level 1: First Letters and Level 2: The Alphabet
- 5 spellings
- 143 practice words
This page describes Zupzi Read's program: the order the app teaches in, lesson by lesson. Zupzi Read is coming soon to the App Store, and it goes there only with the whole program, ages 3 to 8.
What a CVC word is
C is a consonant and V a vowel: s-a-t, m-a-p, p-i-n. The vowel is short, as in apple and itch. Along with them come the two-sound VC words, like am, at and in. A word family is a group that shares an ending, like -at in sat, mat and fat.
“After lesson…”: how to read the lists
Each word shows the first lesson after which every one of its sounds, and its word shape, has been taught, worked out from the app's word bank, which takes its pronunciations from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. Before that lesson, the word doesn't show up in Zupzi Read's lessons or books.
Real screens from the app, in the iPhone simulator, with a test reader.
CVC words by vowel and word family
“L1 · 5” means the word can be read after Level 1, lesson 5: by then every sound in it, and its word shape, has been taught (worked out from the app's word bank).
Short aa as in apple · 45 words
| Family | Words |
|---|---|
| -ap |
|
| -at |
|
| -am |
|
| -an |
|
| -ad |
|
| -ab |
|
| -ag |
|
| -ax |
|
| -ak |
|
| -as |
|
Short ii as in itch · 36 words
| Family | Words |
|---|---|
| -ip |
|
| -it |
|
| -id |
|
| -ig |
|
| -in |
|
| -im |
|
| -ix |
|
| -ib |
|
Short oo as in octopus · 22 words
| Family | Words |
|---|---|
| -ot |
|
| -og |
|
| -op |
|
| -od |
|
| -ox |
|
| -ob |
|
Short uu as in up · 19 words
| Family | Words |
|---|---|
| -ug |
|
| -ut |
|
| -um |
|
| -un |
|
| -ub |
|
| -ud |
|
| -up |
|
| -us |
|
Short ee as in egg · 21 words
| Family | Words |
|---|---|
| -et |
|
| -en |
|
| -ed |
|
| -eg |
|
| -eb |
|
| -es |
|
The 5 spellings in this part of the path
- a as in apple
- i as in itch
- o as in octopus
- u as in up
- e as in egg
Where it sits in the path: 8 lessons
In the order the app teaches them, with the new spellings, a few of the lesson words and the heart words.
Level 1: First Letters3 lessons here, of 9
- 1/a/ as in appleNew: a as in apple
- 5Read VC and CVC wordsWords: am, at, sat, mat, tam, sam · Book: Sam
- 8/i/ as in itchNew: i as in itch · Words: it, sit, tip, pit, fit, sip · Heart words: is · Book: Pip
Level 2: The Alphabet5 lessons here, of 21
- 1/o/ as in octopusNew: o as in octopus · Words: on, not, top, pot, mop · Heart words: so
- 4/u/ as in upNew: u as in up · Words: up, cup, sun, mud, nut, fun, cut · Heart words: put
- 7/e/ as in eggNew: e as in egg · Words: bed, get, net, pen, ten, men, pet, fed · Heart words: be, me, come, some, one
- 8Short vowels reviewWords: bat, bet, bit, but, pat, pet, pit, pot
- 21The whole alphabetWords: cat, dog, sun, bed, pig, cup, fox, jam
Practice words from these lessons
All 143 words from the word lists of these lessons, in the order they come up.
- sat
- mat
- tam
- sam
- map
- tap
- sap
- pat
- pam
- fat
- sit
- tip
- pit
- fit
- sip
- tan
- pan
- fan
- man
- nap
- pin
- tin
- fin
- nip
- not
- top
- pot
- mop
- dad
- did
- dot
- dip
- sad
- mad
- pad
- nod
- cat
- cap
- can
- cot
- cod
- cop
- cup
- sun
- mud
- nut
- fun
- cut
- gap
- gas
- dig
- dog
- pig
- tag
- fog
- gum
- bat
- bad
- bag
- big
- bug
- bus
- tub
- cab
- sob
- bib
- bed
- get
- net
- pen
- ten
- men
- pet
- fed
- set
- peg
- bet
- bit
- but
- kid
- kit
- kin
- hat
- hot
- hit
- hop
- hug
- hum
- hen
- him
- hid
- hut
- rat
- red
- rug
- run
- rip
- rod
- ram
- rim
- rot
- rub
- lap
- let
- lip
- log
- leg
- lid
- lot
- lit
- lab
- wet
- wig
- win
- web
- wag
- jam
- jet
- jog
- jug
- jab
- jot
- jig
- yes
- yet
- yam
- yak
- yap
- yum
- box
- fox
- wax
- fix
- mix
- tax
- quit
- quip
- quid
- van
- vet
- vat
- zip
- zap
Word pronunciations come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, Copyright (C) 1993-2015 Carnegie Mellon University. All rights reserved.
Questions about cvc words
What are CVC words?
Words with a consonant, a short vowel and a consonant, like sat, map, fin and nap. They are usually the first words a child sounds out.
When does my child start reading CVC words in Zupzi Read?
In Level 1, lesson 5 (“Read VC and CVC words”), right after the sounds of a, m, s and t. The book “Sam” belongs to that lesson.
What is a CVC word family?
A group of CVC words with the same ending, like -at (sat, mat, fat) or -in (pin, tin, fin). The lists on this page are grouped that way.
More of the path
Phonics, step by step:
By age and grade:
Or jump to a level of the scope and sequence:
