Free printable · CVC words

Short i CVC words

Short i is the sound in the middle of "pig" and "sit". It is often the second vowel children learn, after short a.

This page has 35 short i CVC words in 6 word families, from big and dig to him and rim. Every word can be sounded out one letter at a time.

-ig words

  • big
  • dig
  • fig
  • jig
  • pig
  • rig
  • wig

-in words

  • bin
  • fin
  • pin
  • tin
  • win

-ip words

  • dip
  • nip
  • rip
  • sip
  • tip
  • zip

-it words

  • bit
  • fit
  • hit
  • kit
  • lit
  • pit
  • sit
  • wit

-id words

  • bid
  • did
  • hid
  • kid
  • lid
  • rid

-im words

  • dim
  • him
  • rim

How to use this list

  1. Once your child can read a column, read it again changing only the last sound: pig, pin, pit. That shows them the end of the word matters as much as the start.
  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

What sound does short i make?

Short i says /i/ as in itch or igloo. In a CVC word it is the middle sound: p-i-g, pig.

My child mixes up short i and short e. What helps?

Read pairs that differ only in the vowel, such as pin and pen, or bid and bed. Ask which word you said, then let them read both.

Are words like six and mix CVC words?

They look like it, but x makes two sounds (/ks/), so this list leaves them out. Teach them once your child is comfortable blending four sounds.

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