Free printable short u phonics worksheets. Five practice activities: decodable passage, word sort, phrasing cards, rapid naming chart, and word search.
A free illustrated mini-book for Short U, plus the same story as a passage sheet for highlighting.
A full-color picture book your student reads on their own. Skill: Short U. Print, cut and staple.
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Gus the pup had fun in the sun. He dug and dug in the mud. He got mud on the big rug. Kim had a fit. “Oh, Gus!” she said. “Not on the rug.” A big bug sat on the rug. Gus had to get the bug. Gus ran, but the bug ran, too. Kim was a big help. She got the bug in a cup. “Gus, mud is not on a rug,” said Kim. Gus sat. He was a fun pup.
When u sits between two consonants, it usually says its short sound, /ŭ/, as in umbrella.
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The words this story set practices, in the two groups used by the word sort.
bug, hug, mug, rug, tug, bus, pup, cup, cut, hut
bup, jum, vug, nud, gub, zun, fud, wut, rup, lub
Short U words to read, match and write, with pictures. Each PDF has its answer key on page 2.
The sheets above are free. The pack is every sheet for short a, i, o, e and u in order, a review set and all the answer keys, ready to print.
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4 ready-to-print PDFs for this story's short u words. Each one opens as its own file.
Cut-apart word cards to sort: Real Words or Nonsense Words. Answer key on page 2.
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More picture worksheets: beginning sounds, ending sounds, rhyming and syllables — new pictures every time you print.
A new decodable story with the same short u sounds — each comes with its own set of worksheets.
Mastering the short 'u' sound is a crucial step in early phonics, typically introduced after short 'a' and 'i'. This vowel sound, as in "bug," "hug," and "run," can be particularly tricky for young learners because its pronunciation is very subtle and can easily be confused with the short 'o' sound, as in "cot" versus "cut," or even a schwa sound. Children often struggle to differentiate between "bun" and "bon" or might flatten the 'u' in "mud" to sound more like "mad" if they haven't firmly grasped the distinct mouth position. It’s essential for students to clearly articulate the /ŭ/ sound, which involves a relaxed mouth and slightly open lips, without rounding them as they would for short 'o'. Consistent practice helps solidify this specific vowel identification within CVC words. Our short 'u' worksheets provide targeted practice to build fluency and accuracy. After students engage with the decodable passage "Pip and the Bug," encourage them to highlight all the short 'u' words they find, like "pup," "cup," and "fun." The word sort activity helps them categorize words such as "sun," "bun," and "gum," reinforcing their ability to hear and see the short 'u' pattern. Use the phrasing cards to practice reading short phrases with correct intonation, focusing on words like "a pup ran" or "the mug is cut." Finally, the Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) chart for short 'u' words, featuring pictures of a "nut," "hut," and "jug," will help accelerate their recognition and recall of these foundational CVC words, building essential reading speed.
For more early literacy resources, explore our sight word flashcards, tracing worksheets, handwriting worksheets, and coloring pages.
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