Learning Worksheets CVC Words Short e
Free printable PDF · ages 4–6
Short e CVC Words Worksheet: -en, -et, -ed Word Families
Short e is the sound at the start of egg and elephant. It is the vowel children mix up most often with short i, so a little focused practice pays off.
What’s in the short e PDF
- Page 1: a picture chart of 15 short e words in the -en, -et and -ed families, with the family ending in colour
- Page 2: fill in the missing vowel under 8 pictures, trace and write 3 words, and circle the word that matches each picture
Prints on A4 or US Letter (choose “Fit to page”).
How to say short e
For short e, smile a little and open your mouth halfway, with your tongue resting low. It sits between the wide a of apple and the thin i of insect. Saying “eh” like a puzzled face helps children feel it.
Short e word families with pictures
-en words
-en words are friendly to start with because the n can be held. A hen counting to ten is a good silly sentence to read together.
🐔 hen · 🖊️ pen · 🔟 ten · 👬 men
-et words
-et words end with a crisp t. Jet and vet help children hear that the first sound changes the meaning completely.
🥅 net · ✈️ jet · 🩺 vet · 💧 wet
-ed words
-ed words finish with a soft d. Bed is a great word to point out, because the letters b-e-d look like a little bed with a pillow at each end.
🛏️ bed · 🔴 red · 🍼 fed · 🧸 Ted
More short e words
🕸️ web · 🦵 leg · 👍 yes
Game: Egg-hunt reading
Write short e words on paper eggs (or plastic eggs) and hide them. When your child finds one, they read the word, then sort it into a basket labelled -en, -et or -ed. Words that fit no family go in a separate bowl.
Tip for parents
If short e keeps turning into short i (pen becomes pin), ask your child to say both slowly in front of a mirror. Their mouth opens wider for e and smiles flatter for i.
When short e feels easy, move on to short i.
Short e questions
Why is short e hard to hear?
In many accents, short e and short i are very close. Children need to hear and say them side by side before they can tell them apart reliably.
Is Ted a CVC word?
Yes. It follows the consonant-vowel-consonant pattern. Names like Ted, Ben and Meg are fun extras for practising short e.
Questions about age, printing or blending? See the CVC words FAQ.
More Free CVC Word Worksheets
Also try: sight word worksheets · alphabet tracing · all free worksheets · bedtime stories