Free printable · CVC words

Short e CVC words

Short e is the sound in the middle of "bed" and "hen". Many children mix it up with short i, so it helps to practise it on its own before mixing the vowels.

This page has 24 short e CVC words in 4 word families. Every word is consonant, vowel, consonant, and every e says /e/ as in egg.

-et words

  • bet
  • get
  • jet
  • let
  • met
  • net
  • pet
  • set
  • vet
  • wet
  • yet

-ed words

  • bed
  • fed
  • led
  • red
  • wed

-en words

  • den
  • hen
  • men
  • pen
  • ten

-eg words

  • beg
  • keg
  • peg

How to use this list

  1. If your child reads bed as "bid", say the two words slowly side by side and let them feel the difference: your mouth opens wider for e.
  2. Keep sessions short: a few minutes a day beats one long session a week.
  3. Ask your child to say each sound and then blend them into the word. If they guess from the first letter, cover the word and go sound by sound again.
  4. Print the flashcards, mix them up, and read them out of order once the list feels easy, so your child is reading the word and not remembering the list.

Frequently asked questions

Why is short e hard for some children?

Short e and short i sound close together, especially in some accents. Practising a column of short e words, then a column of short i words, then a mixed set, helps children hear and see the difference.

Is "the" a short e CVC word?

No. The is a sight word: th is one sound, and the e in the is usually not a short e. This list only has words your child can sound out letter by letter.

What should my child read after short e words?

Mix short e with the other short vowels, then move to words with two consonants at the start or end, such as sled, nest and bell.

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