The letter-pattern labels, explained
These labels describe the order of consonants (C) and vowels (V) in a word. In a simple CVC word, each letter stands for one sound. Once digraphs appear, one sound can take two letters, so some teachers count sounds instead of letters.
| Pattern | What it means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| VC | A short vowel, then a consonant | at, in, up, on, it |
| CV | A consonant, then a vowel that is usually long | me, go, he, so, we |
| CVC | Consonant, short vowel, consonant | cat, bed, pig, dog, sun |
| CCVC | A consonant blend, a short vowel, a consonant | stop, frog, clap, spin, drum |
| CVCC | A consonant, a short vowel, a final blend | best, lamp, jump, hand, desk |
| CCVCC | Blends at both ends | stamp, crust, blend, grasp |
VC and CV words
VC words such as at, in and up are the smallest words a child can decode. Some programs teach them before CVC words, and they come back later as endings: at becomes cat, in becomes pin. CV words such as me and go end in a vowel that is usually long. That makes them a different pattern from CVC, not an easier version of it.
CVC words with digraphs
A digraph is two letters that spell one sound, such as sh, ch, th and ck. The word ship has four letters but only three sounds, /sh/ /i/ /p/. By sound it is CVC. By letter count it is not. Many teachers call these “CVC words with digraphs,” and they are usually the next step after simple CVC words.
| Digraph | Example words |
|---|---|
| sh | ship, shed, shop, fish, dish, wish |
| ch | chip, chop, chin, much, rich |
| th | thin, that, then, this, bath, moth |
| ck | duck, sock, back, kick, neck |
Teach the digraph first, as one sound, before asking children to read words with it. After that, the word works like a CVC word, with three sounds to blend. The Common Core lists digraphs as a first-grade skill (RF.1.3.A).
CVC words with blends: CCVC and CVCC
A consonant blend is two consonants side by side where you still hear both sounds, such as st in stop or mp in jump. Unlike a digraph, a blend adds a sound, so frog has four sounds. Blends at the start make CCVC words. Blends at the end make CVCC words.
Some teachers start with final blends, because the child reads the familiar CVC-like start first, such as ju before mp. Others start with initial blends. Either order works if it is taught clearly.
Double letters: puff, bell, kiss, buzz
Short one-syllable words that end in f, l, s or z often double that letter, as in puff, bell, kiss and buzz. The two letters still make one sound, so these words have three sounds. Teachers often call this the FLOSS rule. It is one reason our lists have no simple CVC words ending in l.
Two-syllable and compound CVC words
Many longer words are two CVC-shaped parts put together. Compound words are the easiest place to start, because each part is a real word:
- sunset
- laptop
- pigpen
- bedbug
- cobweb
- catnap
- cannot
- upset
Other two-syllable words split into short-vowel syllables that aren’t words on their own, such as nap-kin, muf-fin and rab-bit. Reading these means spotting the two short-vowel syllables. The Common Core lists this as a first-grade skill (RF.1.3.E).
What comes after CVC words?
Programs differ, so follow yours if you have one. The IES practice guide describes a common order: consonants and short vowels first, then consonant blends, then common digraphs, then long vowels with silent e, and finally vowel teams such as ea and ou.
- CVC words with all five short vowels, mixed
- Words with consonant blends (CCVC and CVCC)
- Words with digraphs such as sh, ch, th and ck
- Silent e words such as cape and kite (see CVC and CVCe words)
- Vowel teams such as rain, boat and seed