LittleTracers / Phonics / CVC words
Printable CVC words worksheets
A picture, then one empty box for each letter. Consonant-vowel-consonant words are where reading starts, because the letters and the sounds line up one to one — three letters, three sounds, no exceptions to explain.
Choose your own words from the picture bank, decide whether to give the first letter as a hint, and print. Everything is drawn as vector line art on your device.
Free • prints on US Letter • pictures are vector line art, sharp at any size
Questions
- What are CVC words?
- Consonant-vowel-consonant words with a short vowel sound: cat, pig, sun, bed, mop. They're the first words most children read and spell because every letter makes its most common sound.
- What age are CVC worksheets for?
- Typically kindergarten and the start of first grade, roughly ages five to six, once a child knows most letter sounds. Some four-year-olds are ready with support.
- Should I give the first letter?
- At the start, yes — a filled first box turns a blank page into a puzzle they can begin. Drop the hint once they're confident, which is usually within a few weeks.
- Why boxes instead of a line?
- Boxes show how many letters to expect, so a child budgets the space instead of running out of room. It also makes a missing letter visible to both of you.
More phonics sheets
Elkonin sound boxesOne box per sound, not per letter — fish gets three.Beginning soundsA picture and one box — write the letter it starts with.
Working on letter formation too? A–Z letter tracing and name tracing use the same school ruling.