Learning Worksheets CVC Words Short a
Free printable PDF · ages 4–6
Short a CVC Words Worksheet: -at, -an, -ap, -am Word Families
Short a is the sound at the start of apple and ant. It is usually the first vowel children learn to blend, and words like cat, hat and van make it easy to picture.
What’s in the short a PDF
- Page 1: a picture chart of 16 short a words in the -at, -an, -ap and -am 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 a
To say short a, open your mouth wide and drop your jaw, as if a doctor were asking you to say “ah” but a little shorter. Children can check in a mirror: the mouth looks like a wide, open yawn.
Short a word families with pictures
-at words
The -at family is the classic starting point. Swap the first sound and the rest stays the same, so children feel they are reading four words for the price of one.
🐱 cat · 🎩 hat · 🦇 bat · 🐀 rat
-an words
-an words end with a nasal n, which children can hum. Ask them to hold the n like a little motor: v-a-nnnn.
🪭 fan · 🍳 pan · 🚐 van · 🥫 can
-ap words
-ap words finish with a quick pop of the lips. Clap once on the p to mark the end of the word.
🧢 cap · 🗺️ map · 🚰 tap · 😴 nap
-am words
-am words end with a hum of the lips. Jam and yam are fun because they are things children can taste.
🍖 ham · 🐏 ram · 🍠 yam · 🫙 jam
Game: Hat swap
Write -at on a card and put it on the table. Pile up single letter cards (c, h, b, r, m, s). Your child puts one letter in front of -at, reads the new word and checks the picture chart to see if it is a real word. Mat and sat are real; zat is silly but still fun to read.
Tip for parents
If your child reads cat as “c-a-t” but cannot put it together, try stretching instead of chopping: “cccaaat”. Keeping the sounds flowing makes the word pop out.
When short a feels easy, move on to short e.
Short a questions
Why start CVC words with short a?
Short a is a big, open sound that is easy to hear and say, and many simple picture words use it. Most phonics programmes introduce it first.
My child reads cap as cat. What helps?
Ask them to look at the last letter before saying the word. Pointing to each letter in turn, left to right, slows the eyes down enough to see the ending.
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