What Are CVC Words? CVC Word lists with 200+ Words Included!

One of the most magical moments in an elementary school is witnessing a child realize that sounds make up words. "Well, of course they do!" you might be thinking, but this concept is not so simple for young students. At first, children learn the sounds of each letter in the alphabet. It is only later when they sound out three consecutive letters and blend them together, that they realize they have just read a whole word!

What are CVC words?

CVC stands for consonant-vowel-consonant. CVC words are three-letter words made up of a consonant, a vowel, and another consonant. While many languages differ, English words must always have a vowel in them.

There are two types of vowels in the English language: the regular vowels and the vowel teams. Regular vowels are one-letter sounds that are shown using the letters a, e, i, o, and u. Vowel teams, however, are made up of more than one regular vowel and create entirely new sounds that differ from the regular vowels. Examples of vowel teams are ee, aw, ie, ow, and oy.

There are many vowel teams, but only five regular vowels. When children are learning to read, they begin by only learning the five regular vowels because they are far easier to remember than the vowel teams. Regular vowels in CVC words always make the same sound with their assigned letter.

Therefore, CVC words are a fantastic place for new English readers to begin, because the sounds will always be the same. Unlike sight words, the student does not need to memorize extensive spellings, but only the sounds assigned to each letter. The words just make sense!

CVC Words Lists

Below are lists of CVC words with different endings. These lists can be used to assist with rhyming, spelling spoken words, or making assignments for your students.