Mixed CVC Words
Free printable mixed cvc phonics worksheets. Five practice activities: decodable passage, word sort, phrasing cards, rapid naming chart, and word search.
Grade: K
Phase 1: Foundations
Pattern: CVC words with all short vowels
cat
bed
sit
hot
bug
pen
pig
top
cup
red
dog
fin
1 Decodable Reading Passage
A short, decodable story embedding mixed cvc words. Students read the passage then highlight all the target words.
Ron and the Big Bat
Skill: Mixed CVC • Sight Words: the, is, a, and, to, was, it, on, his, her
Illustrated mini-book
Ron had on a red wig. He hopped to the top of the dim hill to get Tom.
But a big, big bat was on Tom's hut!
"Oh no!" said Ron. He hid in a log. Then he hid in a tub. But the bat did not fly off.
Then the door opened. It was Tom! He had on a cap like a bat. He was by a lit lamp.
"That is not a bat, Ron," said Tom. "My lamp can make my cap look big on the hut. Come sit by my lamp."
Ron set his wig by the lamp. "Look at the hut! My wig is as big as a hill!" said Ron.
Circle or highlight all the CVC words in the story. Can you sort them by their vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u)?
This story is part of Level 1. Get every Level 1 illustrated mini-book in one print-ready file ($14) →
2 Mixed CVC Words
The words this story set practices, in the two groups used by the word sort.
Short A/E Words (6)
cat, bed, pen, red, net, web
Short I/O/U Words (14)
sit, hot, bug, pig, top, cup, dog, fin, run, hug, bus, rip, log, mud
- Phrases to read
- the red bug · a dog on a log · sit in the mud · a pig and a cup · run to the bed · hot on top · a net and a web · hug the cat · the big red bus
- RAN chart words
- cat, bed, pig, hot, bug
- Sight words
- the, is, a, and, to, was, it, on, his, her
3 Mixed Short Vowel Picture Worksheets
Short vowel words to read, match and write, with pictures. Each PDF has its answer key on page 2.
Find the Word
Look at each picture and circle the right word out of three.
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Circle the Picture
Read a word, then circle its picture out of three.
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Which Sentence?
Look at a picture and pick the sentence that matches it.
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Read and Fill In
Read a short story, then fill in the missing words.
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Sound Boxes
Say each picture and write one letter in each box.
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Read and Match
Read each word, then draw a line to its picture.
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4 Story Worksheets
4 ready-to-print PDFs for this story's mixed cvc words. Each one opens as its own file.
Word Sort
Cut-apart word cards to sort: Short A/E Words or Short I/O/U Words. Answer key on page 2.
Download PDF
Phrasing Cards
Short phrases to cut out and read smoothly, for fluency.
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Word Search
Find 12 mixed cvc words in the grid. Answer key on page 2.
Download PDF
RAN Chart
A grid of five words to read fast, with room to record three timed tries.
Download PDF
More picture worksheets: beginning sounds, ending sounds, rhyming and syllables — new pictures every time you print.
📖 More Mixed CVC Stories
A new decodable story with the same mixed cvc sounds — each comes with its own set of worksheets.
Free Printable Mixed CVC Words
Mixed CVC words are fundamental for kindergarteners, representing a crucial step where children blend three sounds to form a word, using all five short vowels. This pattern follows initial sound recognition and precedes digraphs or blends. The trickiness for young learners often lies in differentiating the subtle differences between short vowel sounds, especially /a/ versus /u/ (as in "cat" vs. "cup" or "bug"), or /e/ versus /i/ ("bed" vs. "sit" or "fin"). Children might mispronounce "hot" as "hut" or struggle to isolate the middle sound in words like "dog" or "run." Mastering this requires careful listening and precise articulation of each sound, then fluidly blending them together without adding extra sounds.
Our mixed CVC worksheets are designed to reinforce these essential skills. When working with "Pip in the Mud," encourage your child to first identify and say each sound in words like "mud," "bug," and "rip" before blending them. The decodable passage provides context for reading these words in sentences, building fluency. Use the word sort activity to group words by their middle vowel sound, helping to differentiate them, perhaps sorting "bed," "red," and "web" together, then "sit," "pig," and "fin." Phrasing cards help children practice reading short CVC phrases naturally, while the RAN chart builds automaticity for quick recall of these foundational words, making reading smoother and more confident.
For more early literacy resources, explore our sight word flashcards, tracing worksheets, handwriting worksheets, and coloring pages.
